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Cousins Subs® Supports Nonprofits That Uplift Local Communities

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$6,000 Donation Supports Hunger, Youth Education and Health & Wellness Programs Statewide

March 12, 2019 // Franchising.com // MILWAUKEE - Cousins Subs® Make It Better Foundation awards $6,000 in grants to four Wisconsin-based nonprofits - National Alliance of Mental Illness Washington County (NAMI WC), Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, First Stage and Generations Against Bullying.

A $3,000 grant was awarded to NAMI of Washington County to support its recovery center, which provides a safe environment for individuals affected by mental illness. Each week, the center provides a variety of programming designed to strengthen coping skills, teach independent life skills, make referrals to additional community resources, and grow vital support networks. The recovery center is a life-line to many individuals with mental illness as it offers a safe space for recovery, develops a sense of community, and provides a physical place for social interaction and peer support without stigma, judgement, or barriers.

“Community support is critical to continue providing non-clinical support services to individuals with mental health illness, as well as those who care for them,” said Lisa Krenke, executive director at NAMI WC. “Grants such as the one from Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation help cover costs for the operation of NAMI WC's Recovery Center.”

A $1,000 grant was also awarded to Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh to assist the organization’s Basic Needs Program, which focuses on providing its members with the most essential needs, including food, showers, clothing and more.

“Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is dedicated to improving the lives of children who need us the most. One of the top ways we do this is by providing meals every day to our members,” said Marc Dosogne, chief executive officer at Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. “When a member comes in hungry, we know they are not able to focus on learning, interacting with peers and just being a kid. With help from great partners like the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation, we are able to remove that barrier and help our members succeed.”

First Stage was also awarded a $1,000 grant to fund its Community Partnership Program (CPP), which works to ensure access and inclusion to the organization’s transformative theater experiences. The grant will support First Stage’s ability to provide need-based Theater Academy scholarships for youth from low-income families who would not otherwise have access to such programming.

“Many students in Milwaukee have limited access to theater due to the lack of art specialists in schools, budget cuts, and additional financial, transportation, and logistical challenges that affect families with low-incomes,” said Susan Robinson, grants manager at First Stage. “Our Community Partnership Program works to remove those barriers and ensure that thousands of Milwaukee youth and families have access to our Theater Productions, Theater Academy classes, and Theater in Education programming. First Stage is incredibly grateful that Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation recognized this need and chose to support our mission of transforming lives through theater.”

Generations Against Bullying was also among Cousins’ grant recipients, receiving a $1,000 grant for its Upstander Peer Ambassador Program to teach students how to become an upstander and leader against bullying.

“The Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation grant provided to Generations Against Bullying will help us facilitate more outreach to schools about our positive program that confronts bullying,” said James Dean, executive assistant at Generations Against Bullying.

Each grant is funded through the Cousins Subs’ Make It Better Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization established in 2013. The Make It Better Foundation aims to improve the general welfare and quality of life in the communities Cousins Subs serves and addresses three areas of interest that are vital to any community: health and wellness, hunger and youth education. Since its inception, the Make It Better Foundation has awarded nearly $380,000 to more than 75 nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin.

“Since 1972, Cousins Subs and its local sub shop owners have been founded on the belief in being better at heart,” said Justin McCoy, director on Cousins Subs’ Make It Better Foundation board. “By supporting local nonprofit organizations, Cousins provides support to those in the communities the sub shop calls home.

Interested nonprofit and community organizations can visit cousinssubs.com/foundation to find out more information on eligibility and how to apply.

About Cousins Subs

Wisconsin-based Cousins Subs®, a family-owned, fast casual sub shop established in 1972 by Bill Specht and his cousin, is driven by the mission to Believe in Better - both in the quality of food it serves and in the communities it supports. Cousins Subs and its franchisees operate 100 sub sandwich shops throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, providing guests with quality deli fresh and made to order grilled subs using only the freshest ingredients on its signature bread baked daily. For more information, visit cousinssubs.com. You can also find Cousins Subs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact:

Carolyn Guenther
carolyn.guenther@cousinssubs.com
D: 262.250.2802

SOURCE Cousins Subs

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