AmerenCares Provides $25,000 COVID-19 Relief Grant to YMCA's Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood

AmerenCares Provides $25,000 COVID-19 Relief Grant to YMCA's Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood

Funds Will Help Offset Costs to Support Children of First Responders

ST. LOUIS (Feb. 4, 2021) – On Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, representatives of YMCA's Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood were joined by officials from Ameren's Southeastern Missouri Division to announce a $25,000 gift from the company's AmerenCares foundation to assist the organization in offsetting losses incurred due to the impact of COVID-19.

"The foundation of the YMCA's Trout Lodge and Camp Lakewood is embedded in serving those who are struggling with some of life's most devastating conditions. These include children who rely on specialty programs focused on assisting kids with cancer, those who are missing limbs, and many others," said Mallmann. "Trout Lodge is giving them and their parents a sense of belonging, normalcy and hope, as well as all those who have sacrificed everything to give us our cherished gift of freedom – our treasured, paralyzed veterans."

During 2020, the YMCA provided more than $58,000 in scholarship money to campers whose families were impacted by COVID-19, as well as helped feed the children of first responders in emergency childcare. The grant from AmerenCares will go directly to help offset some of those costs. Since the beginning of the pandemic, AmerenCares has provided $1.9 million of philanthropic support to organizations assisting those impacted by COVID-19 throughout the communities Ameren serves in both Missouri and Illinois.

“Thanks to Ameren’s AmerenCares Relief Grant to YMCA's Camp Lakewood and Trout Lodge, we will ultimately be able to impact even more campers and families and help them learn, grow and thrive through their time spent with us," said Di Fiori. “We’re grateful our efforts to provide aid and support to people during this challenging time were recognized by Ameren through this generous grant.”

"Never has the need been more critical during these challenging times, and Ameren is grateful for the opportunity to provide assistance and support for the work being done here at Trout Lodge to support the children of families in need due to the impact of COVID-19, as well as the children of our brave first responders," said Burger.

About YMCA of the Ozarks

YMCA of the Ozarks, a branch of the Gateway Region YMCA, is a nonprofit organization located in the eastern Ozarks foothills of Potosi, Missouri. It comprises YMCA Trout Lodge and YMCA Camp Lakewood, both founded in the 1940s. YMCA Camp Lakewood is an ACA accredited camp. In addition to providing camp programs, YMCA of the Ozarks also provides Outdoor Education and Team Building for schools, organizations and groups. Activities include horseback riding, boating, fishing, archery, climbing towers, ziplining, arts & crafts and much more. For generations, this YMCA has been a destination for retreats, family reunions, weekend getaways, holiday celebrations and vacations. YMCA of the Ozarks is committed to serving people of all abilities. For those who qualify, financial assistance is provided so that everyone has the opportunity to participate in programs, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, visit ymcaoftheozarks.org.

About Ameren Corporation

St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric service generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated electric transmission projects. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.

###