SVEC Surpasses $30K In Awarded Grants
September 16, 2019
By JESSICA WETZLER
Daily News-Record 9/16/19
HARRISONBURG — Since the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Committee inception in 2017, the group has awarded more than $54,000 in contributions to local organizations.
With its 2019 grant cycle coming to a close, the committee has awarded more than $30,000, with almost $10,000 awarded in late August.
Operation Round Up is the SVEC’s charitable giving program that addresses crucial needs within its service territory, according to a press release. Members voluntarily round up their monthly bills to the next even dollar, with funds accumulating in a pool of grant money.
The committee is made up of nine members and one SVEC employee, and reviews grant applications from area organizations and selects recipients.
The committee last met on Aug. 21, where it selected eight recipients to receive grant funding.
Organizations included:
• Families Reaching Out Group in Winchester to purchase new underwear to help children in need through its predominant program, Froggy’s Closet, a store in downtown Winchester.
• Hope Distributed in Rockingham County to purchase food and maintain vehicles that pick up food for the organization’s food pantry.
• Elkton Area United Services to direct financial aid of clients through the emergency assistance program,
including housing, electric, fuel, water and medication needs.
• S. G. Stewart Middle School FFA in Augusta County to create a “school farm” by building a small, dual-purpose barn and greenhouse that will show about 250 middle school students how their food is grown or produced.
• Choices of Page County to help complete a rehabilitation project for parts of its emergency shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic and/or sexual violence.
• Page Alliance for Community Action to help establish and promote the “Hidden in Plain Sight” program, which aims to educate parents and caregivers of the common indicators of unhealthy behavior in their child’s room.
• Faith in Action in Winchester to pay for expenses related to providing free, door-to-door transportation for medical appointments and treatments.
• Elegius Mini Equine Sanctuary in Highland County to expand its ability to offer employment opportunities to people with disabilities and young people who have difficulty finding work in the rural community.
“We were ecstatic to receive word that our organization was selected for a grant,” said grant recipient Sherry Rawls- Bryce, chair of the board of directors for Families Reaching Out Group, in a press release. “Without the support of the community, our calls to help children in need would go unanswered.
SVEC and all of their members should be applauded for recognizing the importance of offering a program like Operation Round Up. The impact is beyond words.”
Those interested in contributing to the program can learn more at www.svec.coop/ORU.
The next grant cycle is expected to be in January 2020, according to the press release.
SVEC serves close to 98,000 meters in the counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren as well as the city of Winchester.
Daily News-Record 9/16/19
HARRISONBURG — Since the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Committee inception in 2017, the group has awarded more than $54,000 in contributions to local organizations.
With its 2019 grant cycle coming to a close, the committee has awarded more than $30,000, with almost $10,000 awarded in late August.
Operation Round Up is the SVEC’s charitable giving program that addresses crucial needs within its service territory, according to a press release. Members voluntarily round up their monthly bills to the next even dollar, with funds accumulating in a pool of grant money.
The committee is made up of nine members and one SVEC employee, and reviews grant applications from area organizations and selects recipients.
The committee last met on Aug. 21, where it selected eight recipients to receive grant funding.
Organizations included:
• Families Reaching Out Group in Winchester to purchase new underwear to help children in need through its predominant program, Froggy’s Closet, a store in downtown Winchester.
• Hope Distributed in Rockingham County to purchase food and maintain vehicles that pick up food for the organization’s food pantry.
• Elkton Area United Services to direct financial aid of clients through the emergency assistance program,
including housing, electric, fuel, water and medication needs.
• S. G. Stewart Middle School FFA in Augusta County to create a “school farm” by building a small, dual-purpose barn and greenhouse that will show about 250 middle school students how their food is grown or produced.
• Choices of Page County to help complete a rehabilitation project for parts of its emergency shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic and/or sexual violence.
• Page Alliance for Community Action to help establish and promote the “Hidden in Plain Sight” program, which aims to educate parents and caregivers of the common indicators of unhealthy behavior in their child’s room.
• Faith in Action in Winchester to pay for expenses related to providing free, door-to-door transportation for medical appointments and treatments.
• Elegius Mini Equine Sanctuary in Highland County to expand its ability to offer employment opportunities to people with disabilities and young people who have difficulty finding work in the rural community.
“We were ecstatic to receive word that our organization was selected for a grant,” said grant recipient Sherry Rawls- Bryce, chair of the board of directors for Families Reaching Out Group, in a press release. “Without the support of the community, our calls to help children in need would go unanswered.
SVEC and all of their members should be applauded for recognizing the importance of offering a program like Operation Round Up. The impact is beyond words.”
Those interested in contributing to the program can learn more at www.svec.coop/ORU.
The next grant cycle is expected to be in January 2020, according to the press release.
SVEC serves close to 98,000 meters in the counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren as well as the city of Winchester.
