SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (June 17, 2020) - Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) announced today $60,000 in grant funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago COVID-19 Relief Program will be distributed to the Central Illinois Foodbank and the Springfield Public Schools Foundation. FHLBank Chicago created this grant program to help its members provide much needed assistance in their communities. Horace Mann has been a member of FHLBank Chicago since 2013.
“At Horace Mann, we are dedicated to helping the communities in which we live and work,” said Marita Zuraitis, President and CEO of Horace Mann. “During this pandemic, schools and families in Springfield have faced new challenges, which we are helping address through support for programs that keep kids fed and children learning. We appreciate FHLBank Chicago’s generous grant and are directing it to aid with efforts to reduce food insecurity and improve remote learning.”
The Central Illinois Foodbank will receive $40,000 and plans to partner with Nelson’s Catering to offer meals for families. Nelson’s will provide 2,400 frozen meals over 10 weeks to 30 children at the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield, sending home eight meals with each child every week. In addition, Nelson’s will provide sack lunches to homeless children served by the Matthew Project for 10 weeks and the remainder of the funds will be used to feed families in need within the Foodbank’s service area.
“Since the school closures began, social distancing is the new normal, forcing us to provide mostly sack lunches to children,” said Pam Molitoris, Executive Director of the Central Illinois Foodbank. “This donation gives the Foodbank a chance to partner with a local business to provide families the opportunity to receive hot meals. This approach also enables us to provide a higher volume of food and meals to students in need in locations where there is staff and volunteers on site to assist with delivery and distribution.”
The partnership between the Springfield Public Schools Foundation and Horace Mann has long supported technology in the classroom, and now with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly critical to provide that support at home to keep kids learning, no matter the location. The Foundation will continue to support technology for educators and their students with this $20,000 grant.
“This grant will help the Springfield Public Schools close the equity gap with technology and connectivity devices, and support innovative designs teachers can present for learning,” said Jennifer Gill, Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools. “We continue to be amazed by our educators. They have helped us move from triage mode when COVID-19 started, to a creative and forward-thinking learning paradigm that truly makes in-person learning, remote learning and blended learning models most effective. We thank Horace Mann for its dedication to our schools, and for its efforts to support the whole child through food distribution with the Central Illinois Foodbank, as well.”
“Horace Mann’s decision to support the Central Illinois Foodbank and the Springfield Public Schools Foundation with this grant lives up to the spirit of this program,” said Katie Naftzger, Community Investment Officer for FHLBank Chicago. “We're proud to support Horace Mann and the impactful work they are doing to support their local communities through this challenging time.”
About Horace Mann
Horace Mann is the largest financial services company focused on providing America's educators and school employees with insurance and retirement solutions. Founded by Educators for Educators® in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Ill. For more information, visit horacemann.com.
About FHLBank of Chicago
The mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago is to partner with our member institutions in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment in the Bank, and support for community investment activities.
We’re one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932 to promote homeownership. Our members include banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions throughout our district.
About Springfield Public Schools Foundation
The Springfield Public Schools Foundation is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that solicits, receives, and disperses funds supporting Springfield Public Schools and its students. The SPSF has funded a wide-range of programs and educational activities including teacher grants, library materials, arts education and programming, science equipment, and musical instruments.
About Central Illinois Foodbank
Central Illinois Foodbank, established in 1982, distributes 9 million pounds of food annually to over 160 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21-county region. Central Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. The mission of the Foodbank is to provide food, and develop awareness of and creative solutions for food insecurity.