Big Grove Brewery grants $24,000 to local charities

Mar. 16, 2022 5:45 am

A jet of solution cleans the rim of a can of Big Grove West Main Wheat beer after the lid was attached on the new canning line at Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City, Iowa. Big Grove granted $24,000 to local nonprofit organizations Friday. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Big Grove Brewery announced Friday a total of $24,000 in grants to a trio of local nonprofits as part of its Big Grove for Good program.

Houses into Homes, Inside Out Reentry Program, and Open Heartland each received $8,000. In addition to the grants, Big Grove staff members will volunteer to support these organizations through the rest of the year.

Houses into Homes said the grant will enable them to improve operations to serve households more quickly and efficiently, fully furnishing more homes.

“We know there are many organizations doing critical work in our area, and are honored to have been chosen,” co-founders Lucy Barker and Salina McCarty said in a statement.

Inside Out, which helps people transition from incarceration back into the community, said the grant will enable them to continue provide much-needed services.

“Returning to the community after incarceration is challenging,” said Michelle Heinz, executive director of Inside Out. “This donation and partnership with Big Grove will provide Inside Out with resources to maintain and increase our services to formerly incarcerated individuals in Johnson County.”

Open Heartland provides basic food and hygiene necessities to immigrant families from Central America and Mexico who are escaping violence and poverty.

“Big Grove for Good enables neighbors to help neighbors,” said Deb Dunkhase, founder of Open Heartland.

Community members can help with the effort with each pint poured in Big Grove’s Iowa City taproom. For each pint of Easy Eddy, $1 will be donated to Open Heartland; for each pint of Boomtown, $1 will be donated to Inside Out; for each pint of West Eddy, $1 will be donated to Houses into Homes.