Sheffield’s Royal Super Mart receives $15,000 donation from Ameren Illinois

In order to assist in the reopening efforts of Royal Super Mart in Sheffield, Ameren Illinois donated $15,000 and provided energy savings incentives to give residents access to local food options closer to home.

“Rural communities like Sheffield are the fabric of Downstate Illinois,” Regional Director of Electric Operations for Ameren Illinois Brian Brackney said “I can’t think of a better way to keep our region strong than by supporting an effort like this one.”

The support was provided to Cornerstone Community Wellness, a nonprofit organization that launched a fundraising effort to acquire and remodel the existing business.

The newly reopened store offers keycard access, healthy prepared meals and collaboration with local food producers.

“Our core mission is to improve individual well-being, and that starts with a healthy community,” Executive Director of Cornerstone Community Wellness Elizabeth Pratt said. “We saw an opportunity to continue the legacy of Royal Super Mart and reimagine all the ways a rural grocery store can survive and thrive.”

In all, Cornerstone Community Wellness raised more than $500,000 for the grocery store project.

“Thanks to Ameren Illinois, we obtained a new point of sale system and made other technology upgrades to the store,” Pratt said. “We also utilized their program incentives to install energy efficient lighting and a new HVAC system.”

The funds from Ameren were made available through the Ameren Cars program, which looks to connect the company with the communities it serves through giving and volunteering.