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Grain Belt Express awards Wheatland Electric’s Cram the Van with $500 grant for local food bank.
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Wheatland Electric Cooperative District 6 Manager Dax Walk (left) and Community Food Bank of Barton County President Ruth Behrens (right) accept a $500 community grant from the Grain Belt Express Community Grant Program. The funding will help replenish essential food supplies, supporting local families facing food insecurity.

Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc.’s (WEC) Cram the Van program has already started to “Power the Pantry” in 2025 with a $500 grant from the Grain Belt Express Community Grant Program. 

As part of Grain Belt Express’s (GBE) commitment to the communities impacted by new transmission line projects, GBE provides one-time grant opportunities on a first-come, first-served basis to a select number of organizations along the route in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.

In response to growing food insecurity in Barton County, community relations field representative Ron Gillett presented a donation to WEC at the end of February to support local hunger relief efforts. Ruth Behrens, president of the Community Food Bank of Barton County, emphasized the urgent need for assistance, noting that the contribution comes at a critical time.

“Resources are pretty limited this time of year, and we are continuing to serve more families than ever before,” she said. The funding will help replenish essential food supplies.