Philanthropy
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Diehl Grant - Providing Bus Passes to Help Combat Food Insecurity
In the spring of 2022, ATA Bus was awarded a Diehl Community Grant through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. This grant is intended to support projects likely to have a major impact on community efforts in the arts, basic human needs, and youth, located in or impacting a large segment of the population.
ATA Bus works closely with many service organizations in the community and was able to identify the need for easily accessible transportation to help combat food insecurity. To explain further, according to Feeding America, 13.5% of people in Riley County are experiencing Food Insecurity. In order to allow more people to access the organizations and groups in town who can help individuals acquire food, meals, and other resources, ATA Bus applied for funding in order to provide those entities with Bus Passes at no cost.
With the award of the Grant, it means that many of the helpful organizations in town will be given ATA Bus passes for no charge to provide freely to the individuals they serve who are in need.
ATA Bus is delighted to have been given this opportunity and feels proud to be able to better the community through this program.
Partnered Organizations:
Flint Hills Wellness Coalition
Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Inc.
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, please feel free to contact any of the organizations above for assistance and care.
Westloop Blessing Box
In late 2020, ATA Bus wanted to find a way to help give back to the Manhattan Community. During this time, the Riley County Food and Farm Council had offered a prebuilt “Blessing Box” to us if we would like to sponsor it and arrange for it to be placed on the West side of Manhattan.
Through coordination with the Westloop Business Association, Brixmor Property Group, KS State Bank and JP Enterprises, the Blessing Box was installed in the Westloop Parking lot in December of 2020. Since that time, the Blessing Box has confirmed that there was a need for assistance in this area as it is used daily.
Beginning in 2021, ATA Bus sought out other Westloop Businesses to help sponsor the Blessing Box for one month at a time. Many businesses have reached out and volunteered to do so and it has been tremendously successful in helping keep it stocked. Below you can find a list of our current monthly sponsors!
If you are interested in giving back to the community also, stocking the Blessing Box is a great way to do so! There are some helpful instructions below, along with a list of all of the Blessing Boxes located throughout Manhattan so you can find a location that works best for you!