Ameren to donate $10,000 to Belleville ministry

Ameren Illinois will give Law & Grace Ministries in Belleville a $10,000 check on Friday.

Law & Grace, which had been planning to donate Christmas toys to homeless and poor people on Tuesday, was broken into Monday night. Thieves stole board games and toys.

Ameren had decided internally to award the money before the theft, said Brian Bretsch, a spokesman for Ameren, but it announced the gift after the break-in.

In addition to the grant, since Tuesday, Law & Grace has received a steady flow of money and toys from the public. Zac Costilla, the temporary director of Law & Grace, said the organization has twice as many items as before the break-in.

Costilla has worked at Law & Grace for about a year, and he has been a member of Faith Baptist Church for six. Ameren’s $10,000 donation is the biggest one he has seen since joining.

Law & Grace has received other donations of $100, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. Both were anonymous.

Costilla said that Law & Grace won’t have to spend any money on toys, due to the public’s generous giving. Instead, the group is considering buying a commercial freezer for its pantry, making improvements to its facilities and improving its services for parolees.

Ameren will present the check at 11 a.m. Friday. People in need are invited to select gifts and clothes from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Ameren to donate $10,000 to Belleville ministry."