Operation Round Up July 2023

Homeless families and critically ill children are among recent beneficiaries of nearly $211,000 in charitable grants announced by the Walton Electric Trust Board.

The primary source of funding is Operation Round Up, the community assistance program supported by Walton EMC customer-owners.

“Concern for community is among the principles by which our member-owned business operates,” said Debbie Fowler, a Walton EMC customer-owner who serves on the Walton Electric Trust Board. “Donating to local charities, needy individuals and service organizations is just one way Walton EMC members put this principle into action.”

Camping for Confidence

The lives of seven area teenagers have changed for the better, thanks to a Walton EMC Operation Round Up grant. They recently participated in Camp Soar, a five-night camping experience for teen girls who have been sexually abused.

Walton EMC customer-owners who donate to Operation Round Up supported this year’s camp with a $10,000 grant. The donation provided an all-expenses-paid week of camping for participants and their therapeutic counselors.

The financial aid was well-timed and much needed, said Katherine Rodriguez, director of clinical services at The Tree House Inc. in Winder. The child advocacy center coordinates the camp, which resumed after three years of COVID-related shutdowns.

“It was just a blessing, and our sign that this year was the time to restart this program,” she said. Camp Soar participants receive therapeutic support and engage in confidence-building activities during the week. A high-ropes course, archery, canoeing and horseback riding are among the challenging pursuits offered to help campers overcome their abusive pasts.

Rodriguez has witnessed how the camp provides an opportunity for abused teens to make lasting friendships.

“So many come to camp thinking they are alone in what they have experienced,” she said. “When they meet other girls with similar stories, they develop a new community – a new support system that lasts long after camp ends.”

OPERATION ROUND UP RECIPIENTS:

• Across the Bridge, $10,000. Addiction recovery support project. Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

• Athens Community Council on Aging, $10,000. Education and supplies for grandparents raising grandchildren. Barrow, Clarke, Oconee and Walton counties.

• Barrow Ministry Village, $5,000. Emotional and psychological counseling program scholarships. Barrow, Gwinnett, Clarke, Oconee, Walton, Newton and Rockdale counties.

• Camp Twin Lakes, $10,000. Adaptive camp programs for children with special healthcare needs. All of Walton EMC territory.

• Family Promise of Athens, $15,000. Emergency shelter and support services for families with children to avoid homelessness. Barrow, Clarke and Oconee counties.

• Fresh Wind Recovery Ministry, $10,000. Work transportation for addiction recovery program participants. Barrow, Clarke, Oconee and Walton counties.

• Georgia Children’s Chorus, $5,000. Scholarships for music education. Gwinnett and Walton counties.

• Georgia DECA, $2,000. Financial assistance for Georgia state winners participating in DECA International Career Development Conference. All of Walton EMC territory.

• Georgia Transplant Foundation, $10,000. Support programs for organ transplant candidates and recipients. Barrow, Clarke, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Newton, Oconee, Rockdale and Walton counties.

• Horizons Atlanta, $3,000. Summer learning program for K-8th grade students to improve reading, math and life skills. Clarke and Dekalb counties.

• Make a Wish Georgia, $5,000. Funds to grant wishes of local critically ill children. All of Walton EMC territory.

• Mosaic Georgia, $10,000. Programming, counseling and advocacy for children/ adolescent victims of sexual abuse and their non-offending caregiver. Barrow, Clarke, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale and Walton counties.

• Oconee County Extension 4-H, $10,000. Sponsor of project achievement contests for two years. Oconee County.

• Restoring Hearts for the Brave, $10,000. Counseling, mediation and coaching for traumatized public safety personnel and military veterans. Barrow, Gwinnett and Walton counties.

• Team Maggie for a Cure, $10,000. Fund four fertility preservation for four teen/young adult cancer patients. All of Walton EMC territory.

Emergency assistance to two families, $9,189.

Organizations receiving funds from Walton EMC’s unclaimed capital credits account are:

• FISH4Kids, $15,000. Summer feeding program for children. Walton County.

• Friends of Gwinnett Senior Citizens, $15,000. Funding for home repairs and food. Gwinnett County.

• Judy House Ministry, $15,000. Transitional housing for previously incarcerated men. Gwinnett County.

• Salvation Army of Athens, $15,000. Emergency shelter and feeding program. Clarke County.

• Shepherd’s Staff Ministries, $15,000. Food bank support. Barrow, Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale and Walton counties.