EightCAP held a check presentation and volunteer event last week at its administration building in Orleans to celebrate a $100,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation.
During the event, Consumers Energy Foundation representatives formally presented EightCAP President Lori Johnson with a $100,000 People Award check, recognizing the foundation’s investment in EightCAP’s Household Products for Rehousing Success initiative. Representatives in attendance included Kathy Wilson, Consumers Energy Foundation Secretary and Treasurer, and Rebecca O’Connell, Consumers Energy and Communities Manager.
The grant, awarded through the Consumers Energy Foundation’s People Award, supports EightCAP’s Household Products for Rehousing Success initiative, which provides Fresh Start Kits to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness in Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella and Montcalm counties. These kits contain essential household items to help families build stable and dignified homes as they begin their next chapter.
Following the presentation of the check, Consumers Energy volunteers assembled approximately 36 Fresh Start kits, providing essential household items to help families build stable and livable homes. Representatives from Volunteers in Action, a local volunteer organization that has helped assemble many of EightCAP’s original kits, also attended the event to acknowledge their continued partnership and commitment to this initiative.
Four members of the EightCAP Board of Directors also attended the event to reflect the agency’s leadership support and commitment to the success of the Household Products for Rehousing Initiative.
“As families emerge from homelessness, finding a safe place to live is only the first step,” said EightCAP President Lori Johnson. “This generous support from the Consumers Energy Foundation ensures that individuals and families are no longer starting from scratch. These Fresh Start Kits help restore dignity, create stability, and make home feel like home. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the volunteers who gave their time today to help our neighbors succeed.”
Since early November 2025, EightCAP has distributed approximately 81 Fresh Start Kits to 25 individuals and families exiting homelessness in Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, and Montcalm counties, helping to ensure newly housed residents have the basic necessities they need to maintain stability and begin rebuilding their lives.
“At the Consumers Energy Foundation, we believe that strong communities are built when we come together to support one another,” said Kathy Wilson, Secretary and Treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “Partnering with EightCAP today and volunteering with their team reflects our shared commitment to helping Mid-Michigan families not only find housing, but build homes where they can thrive. Together, we are proud to remove barriers and support the foundations of long-term stability.”
Consumers Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation invests in Michigan’s communities by supporting efforts that strengthen people, protect the planet, and promote economic prosperity.
EightCAP’s Household Supplies for Rehousing Success Initiative directly supports the agency’s mission to reduce the causes and effects of poverty by ensuring families exiting homelessness have the basic resources they need to achieve stability and long-term self-sufficiency.