MANKATO — The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, is proud to once again offer grants through the Emergency Response Services Grant Program. The mission of this program is to support rural communities in AgStar’s service area by funding emergency response equipment for volunteer fire, rescue or ambulance departments.

Each year, AgStar supports rural emergency response departments by providing grants for area departments in need. Because of an increased need, the Fund Board of Trustees has raised the total amount of funds available from $50,000 to $100,000 in 2011. Even though many of these departments have the essentials, they cannot always afford new technologies to upgrade or replace old equipment because of budget constraints.

The EMS grant program was established to help these departments serve their communities. To date, more than $355,000 has been given by the AgStar Fund to rural emergency response departments for their equipment needs.

“AgStar understands how vital emergency response volunteers are to rural communities,” stated John Monson, Chairman of AgStar’s Fund Board of Trustees. “It’s very rewarding to provide funding to help them acquire the equipment they need to better serve their communities.”

All rural volunteer emergency response departments located in one of the 69 counties within AgStar’s service area that haven’t received a grant in the last two years are eligible to apply. Applications for grants, up to $2,500, may be submitted online at AgStar.com from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31.

Since its inception in 2001, the AgStar Fund has donated more than $3 million to organizations working to improve the future of rural America. Applications considered for funding and support must align with the Fund’s mission to “enhance the quality of life and future opportunities for rural residents and their communities.”