LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Family-owned bourbon giant Heaven Hill Brands is giving $800,000 to nonprofit organizations over the next five years in Louisville's California neighborhood.
"Today we are announcing a partnership that we are calling the Heaven Hill Brands spirited neighbor initiative" said All Latts Heaven Hill Brand's Co-President
California is where Heaven Hill distills all of its Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and other bourbon at the Bernheim Distillery, which the company purchased from Diageo in 1999.
The company's "Spirited Neighbor Initiative" is meant to bolster organizations involved in education, mental health and economic development.
"We’re working with some key organizations that make up the fabric of the West End community to support a sustainable, thriving California neighborhood now and for future generations," Heaven Hill Co-President Allan Latts said in a news release.
While organizations will be able to apply for grants, Heaven Hill named five "long-term partners" that it will support through the initiative:
-Change Today Change Tomorrow, which provides services devoted to eradicating the barriers to food justice and public health that plague Louisville’s Black and other marginalized communities;
-Neighborhood House, which provides opportunities ranging from child development to senior programming for families in West Louisville;
-AMPED, which provides music education, business services and technology workforce training to create self-sufficiency, economic mobility and equity among the city’s Black and brown communities;
-Louisville Central Community Center, which provides programs ranging from early childhood education to adult job training and money management to advance equity among Louisville’s West End families; and
-West End School, which provides a rigorous education, character development and family support to pre-K through 8th grade boys, and offers housing to alumni who attend area high schools.
"Being able to lift communities and families economically is what's important in our community, that's the kind of change we need to see and investing into organizations like us that do that as a mission is critically important" said Kevin Fields CEO of Louisville Central Community Center
Through the Spirited Neighbor Initiative, Heaven Hill Brands is also taking steps to improve the California neighborhood's infrastructure. The company has earmarked $250,000 to MSD to support sewer system improvements as well as $50,000 to plant new trees and shrubs along roadways.
