Operation Round Up grants boosting local non-profits

Sep 10 2019 | by James Taylor

Thanks to Central Electric’s Operation Round Up program, powered by donations from Central Electric members, several nonprofits are benefiting from grant funding. This quarter over $24,000 is being put back into the surrounding communities to provide assistance for worthy projects that provide vital service needs. Grants were awarded to the following groups:

  1. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, Inc. (Lee) – Funded $3,000 to provide scholarships for children of parents in need of assistance.
  2. Central Carolina Community College Foundation, Inc. (Lee) – Funded $1,000 for the Academic and Cultural Enrichment Series (ACES) which provides lectures, theater performances, poetry reading and art installations on the CCCC campus and at local venues to students and community members free of charge.
  3. Five N Two Ministries (Harnett) – Funded $3,000 to help purchase food for the pantry.
  4. Ingram Family YMCA (Lee) – Funded $2,000 to help with expenses for books, paper, pencils and other school supplies incurred for children in the Y-Learn program.
  5. Lee County High School FFA – Funded $3,000 to help with expenses to send members to FFA Camp at White Lake.
  6. Lee County Partnership for Children – Funded $3,000 to assist with the annual Lee County Child Care Conference which provides age-appropriate topics related to child development and improved teacher practices.
  7. Salvation Army of Lee County – Funded $3,000 to support the Community Action Targeting Children who are Homeless (CATCH) program which gives homeless families in Lee County access to a coordinated system of care.
  8. Southern Lee Academy of Engineering – Funded $3,000 to purchase software and materials to use with a laser machine that will allow students to learn how to design in a virtual reality space.
  9. Union Pines High School JROTC (Moore) – Funded $3,000 to help offset funds for cadets to participate in a trip to Marine Corps Depot in Parris Island, SC.

 “The Central Electric members provide a great service to our local communities through their generous donations to the Operation Round Up program,” said Nancy Gust, Central Electric Member Care Trust Administrator. “A few extras cents from a large group of people really does make a big impact and it has shown over the last two and half years through the amount of grants provided through the program.”

Operation Round Up is a volunteer program in which Central Electric members can choose to “round up” their electric bill to the next whole dollar each month. Voluntary contributions are made to the Central Electric Member Care Trust and grants are awarded for worthy projects by the Member Care Trust Board of Directors. Applications for 2019 fourth-quarter grant opportunities must be submitted by October 15. Grant recipients will be announced following the board meeting on November 14. For more information on Central Electric’s Operation Round Up program, visit the “Community” tab at CEMCPower.com.