MONROE — In its most recent wave of grant announcements, the Alliant Energy Foundation named two Monroe-based programs as recipients.

Green County Aging Programs Coordinator Morgan Kennison oversees the home meal delivery program with the Green County Human Services Department through the Aging & Disability Resource Center, which received $2,000 to help provide meals to homebound county residents. 

“Alliant Energy Foundation does a really good job of providing for other organizations,” Kennison said. “Any support we can get helps any homebound elderly we serve.”

To be eligible for the program, residents must be over 60 and unable to leave their home. The details of home delivery vary by each town or city the program works with, Kennison said, but participants are provided at least one hot meal for each week day. She added that people can request frozen meals for weekends and for other meal times. 

Those who are enlisted in the program receive their food with a donation of their choice, and Kennison said the department has a recommended amount they suggest to participants. 

In 2017, the program provided nearly 22,000 meals to residents in Green County. Kennison said the grant will help cover the cost of meals. The department plans to utilize funds immediately.  

A total of 15 nonprofit organizations in southern Wisconsin received community grants, according to a press release from Alliant spokesman Scott Reigstad. In its first of two annual cycles of grant disbursement, the foundation gave more than $26,000 in grants toward projects, like $5,000 to the Stoughton Area School District for a smart lab and $2,000 to Three Gaits Inc. of Oregon for equine-assisted therapy, among other groups in Janesville, Jefferson, Beloit, Elkhorn and Walworth.

Jordan Nordby, executive director of Main Street Monroe, said plans for a bike sharing program call for a greater amount than the $1,500 grant received by the foundation, but he has immense gratitude for the funding support because it can help Main Street begin its plans. In a sharing program, bicycles are made available at designated locations for public use on a short-term basis, sometimes for a small fee or for free.

“Our plan is just to get people oriented, show them where to go,” Nordby said, adding that the grant “gives us the flexibility to focus on signage.” 

Nordby said people may go downtown for things to do, like share a meal or do some shopping, and that Main Street wants to help those bikers navigate better between the two.

“We really just want to connect the downtown as much as possible to the people doing that,” he said. 

Though the organization hasn’t yet discussed plans with city officials because the grant check was just received, Nordby said he plans to talk about the program with members of the city’s public works and parks and recreation departments.

Nordby noted that biking is popular with a variety of ages, which was what prompted Main Street’s idea. He said “quite a few people” park downtown and go to the bike path.

“I think there’s a lot of overlap, even if people aren’t aware of it,” he said.

Nordby credited longtime volunteer Kareesa Wilson, who has been working with Main Street Monroe for about 15 years, for finding and writing an application for the grant.