Member-owners contribute nearly $12,000 to community efforts
The Roanoke Electric Cooperative Care Trust Board recently awarded a total of $11,966 in Operation RoundUp grants that benefited one community volunteer fire department and two local high school programs benefiting local youth.
At its July 17 meeting, the board designated funding support to the following organizations:
- Murfreesboro Volunteer Fire Department: The fire department was awarded $4,966 to purchase two new thermal imaging cameras that will help volunteer firefighters perform their work more safely and efficiently. Having an upgraded thermal imaging camera on each apparatus also allows for more efficient operations and enhanced community safety benefiting the residents, homes and businesses.
- C.S. Brown High School STEM (Winton): The high school received $5,000 to fund the startup of an “invention studio” as part of the school’s Master Media Project. The project is designed to improve the learning experience for students studying the field of information technology. Students will have the opportunity to use the studio to work on a variety of community projects throughout the school year. The funds will also be used to update studio equipment.
- Bertie High School (Windsor): The board awarded $2,000 to the high school’s volleyball program. The funds will allow the team to gain new skills by attending the East Carolina University Volleyball Camp and to purchase new uniforms and training equipment.
“Providing new safety and efficiency equipment to the volunteer firefighters and to high school programs supporting our youth will have a positive impact on these communities and on our co-op member-owners living in those communities,” said Marshall Cherry, the co-op’s chief operating officer. “These grants are made available through the donations of member-owners participating in the Operation RoundUp program, and we thank them. Because of their generosity, the monies they donate can be put back into their communities for the benefit of all.”
Here’s how the program works: If your bill for January was $25.85, you could round your payment up to $26 and donate the extra 15 cents to the program.
The co-op estimates that the average co-op member donates 50 cents per month, or $6 annually. The maximum amount that a member-owner is allowed to contribute in one calendar year is $11.88.
Funds are awarded to charitable, education and youth development, economic development or community development organizations helping to meet the needs of underserved populations or geographic areas within the co-op’s service territory.
If you are interested in signing up to contribute, please call (252) 209-2236. For more information and to sign up to round up your monthly payment, visit the Operation RoundUp page.