Alerus Announces $100,000 Donation to Support COVID-19 Relief
Minnetonka, M.N. (June 1, 2020) – Alerus is pleased to announce that it will contribute $100,000 to organizations in the Twin Cities who support feeding or providing shelter to those in need through its Alerus Mortgage Build Your Community program. As part of this COVID-19 relief contribution, Alerus will support People Reaching out to People, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, Foundations for Essential Needs, Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, North County Food Alliance, ICA Food Shelf, White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf, Avenues for Youth, and Second Harvest Heartland. $50,000 of the total gift will be directed to Second Harvest Heartland, where funds will serve as a match for the established giving program between Second Harvest Heartland and KARE 11. The matching program begins June 1; anyone can participate by giving at kare11.com/community.
Prior to COVID-19, over 500,000 people in MN, or 1 in 11 people, were struggling with hunger. These numbers are escalating as Minnesota food shelves indicate they are giving away as much food in one day as previously given over an entire summer. “Today, we face a world pandemic together,” says Lori Day, director of Alerus Mortgage. “Neighbors have lost jobs and income. Some are homeless and many are hungry. Through the good work of Second Harvest Heartland, every $1 donated can provide 3 meals. We are grateful to be able to extend our donation with the matching program, which in total will provide 300,000 meals to those in need.”
Since inception of the Build Your Community program over ten years ago, Alerus has donated $100 for each closed mortgage in the Twin Cities. For each $100 donation, the closing mortgage banker contributes $50, while Alerus matches their contribution. To date, over $3.5 million has been donated back into the community to support programs focused on fighting hunger, homelessness, childhood education, public servants, and affordable housing.
“With continued low interest rates, we’ve experienced high mortgage volume. Our Build Your Community program allows us to share our success with the community. We are incredibly humbled to continue supporting those in need, especially during this difficult time,” added Day.
About Alerus
Alerus (Alerus Financial, N.A.) is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D. Alerus offers business and consumer banking products and services, residential mortgage financing, employer-sponsored retirement plan and benefit administration, and wealth management including trust, brokerage, insurance, and asset management. These solutions are delivered through a relationship-oriented primary point of contact along with responsive and client-friendly technology. Alerus banking and wealth management offices are located in Grand Forks and Fargo, N.D., the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. metropolitan area, and Scottsdale and Mesa, Ariz. Alerus Retirement and Benefits plan administration offices are located in St. Paul and Albert Lea, Minn., East Lansing and Troy, Mich., and Bedford, N.H.