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| Yes! I would like to enroll in Operation Round Up. CLICK HERE To apply for an Operation Round Up grant CLICK HERE for an application. |
Spreading the word about Operation Round Up
In case you haven’t already been asked to join Operation Round Up (ORU), Southwestern Electric Cooperative’s charitable initiative, well, we’re asking. ORU is funded and governed entirely by co-op members like you. For the next several months, representatives of Southwestern Electric will be placing telephone calls to co-op members and giving them an opportunity to sign up for this program. The calls will be made from 5 - 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“We understand that not everybody likes taking these sorts of calls, particularly in the evening or on weekends,” says Susan File, director of member services for Southwestern Electric. “But we feel strongly about Operation Round Up, and hope everyone will take a few minutes to learn more about it.”
Here’s how the program works: After a member signs up for ORU, Southwestern Electric will round up the amount due on their subsequent electric bills to the nearest dollar. The leftover change, ranging from $0.01 to $0.99 each month, goes into a charitable fund to assist nonprofit organizations and community initiatives across the cooperative’s service territory. Grant requests are reviewed by a governing committee consisting of three members appointed by the co-op’s board of directors. Since its launch in 2005, Southwestern Electric’s ORU program has made nearly $13,000 in grants, benefiting a wide variety of organizations, including ministerial alliances, food pantries, and fire departments.
“Operation Round Up is a really easy way to help a lot of people in our community,” adds File. “There’s very little commitment involved; you can withdraw from the program at any time.”
Operation Round Up, in summary:
Round up your monthly electric bill to the nearest dollar.
Contributions will range from $0.01 to $0.99 per month ($1 per month for accounts on levelized billing).
Your contributions, pooled with those made by fellow co-op members, will help fund charitable projects in the community.
You can cancel or restart participation at any time.
Signing up is easy; just check the enrollment box on your next electric bill or call the cooperative at (800) 637-8667.
Altamont Fire Protection District (Altamont), $500 for blowers & generator
American Legion Post 1180 (Mulberry Grove), $600 for flagpoles
Bond County Humane Society, $500 for low-cost spay/neuter initiative
Bond County Memorial VFW Post 1377, $525 for ceremonial bugle and case
Bond County Senior Center, $600 for Meals on Wheels program
Boy Scout Troop #176 (Beecher City), $200 for park pavilion
Central Illinois Honor Flight, $400 to send one WWII veteran to Washington, D.C.
Clippers Swim Team - Parents’ Club (Greenville), $350 for swimsuits
Clinton County Showcase (Breese), $500 for electrical system & lighting
Cub Scout Pack #57 (Greenville), $300 for computer system & start up funds
Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (Madison County), $500 for youth sportsman education
Highland Area Christian Service Ministry, $900 for food pantry
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (Bond County) $600 for traveling book barn
Ministerial Association Relief Fund (Pocahontas area), $500 for food pantry supplies
Mulberry Grove Aces Scholastic Clay Target Program, $300 to shooting team
Mulberry Grove Fire Protection District, $500 for topographic maps
Mulberry Grove Rocket Team, $100 for equipment
Pocahontas American Legion Post, $500 for building project
Prairie State Prevention Education, Inc. (Bond, Clinton & Madison Counties), $200 for education services
Ramsey Sports Boosters, $500 for concession stand construction
Sexual Assault Family Emergencies (Bond, Effingham & Fayette Counties), $400 for support services
Sorento Food Pantry, $200 for supplies
St. Elmo Parent Teacher Organization, $300 for community service materials
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and School of Prairietown (Dorsey), $1000 for automated external defibrillator
Triad High School Band - Parents’ Association (Madison County), $300 for trailer
University of Illinois Extension - Clinton County Unit (Breese), $508 for robotics learning equipment
Whitetails Unlimited: Shoal Creek Chapter (Bond & Madison Counties), $900 for youth sportsman education