MONROE, Ga. – The magic of aggregation continues to turn tiny donations from Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) customer-owners into hundreds of thousands of dollars through Operation Round Up.
Participants from across the 10 counties served by the electric cooperative –Athens-Clarke, Barrow, DeKalb, Greene, Gwinnett, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Rockdale and Walton – allow their monthly bills to be rounded up to the next dollar. That money goes to worthy organizations and needy individuals in our local area. The average donation turns out to be 50 cents.
Every penny goes to those who need it. Walton EMC pays for all administrative costs of the programs.
The latest round of grants total $123,238 and include:
Camp to Belong (all 10 counties) – $2,000
Reunites siblings placed in separate foster, adoptive or kinship homes through camping programs and events. This money is funding their 2017 summer camp.
Camp Twin Lakes (all 10 counties) – $10,000
Provides life-changing camp experiences to children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other life challenges. These funds will provide scholarships for the various camps they offer.
Georgia Lions Lighthouse (all 10 counties) – $7,500
Provides vision and hearing services through education, detection, prevention and treatment. These funds will provide glasses to those in need.
Lekotek of Georgia (all 10 counties) – $3,600
Facilitates the inclusion of children with disabilities into their families, schools and communities by providing accessible play and resources. These funds will go to the scholarship fund of their Family Learning Program.
Project ReNeWal (all 10 counties) – $2,000
A domestic violence intervention program. This money will be used to repair the bathroom in their facility.
YMCA of Georgia’s Piedmont (Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee, Walton) – $1,000
Promotes youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. This money will help fund their Pryme Tyme afterschool program.
CHRIS 180 (Gwinnett) – $5,000
Heals children, strengthens families and builds communities through mental health counseling, training, providing safe housing and skill building. This money supports their group homes serving vulnerable children in foster care.
Lawrenceville Boys and Girls Club (Gwinnett) – $3,000
Seeks to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. This money is funding their Academic Success in Gwinnett County project.
Tourette Information Center (Gwinnett) – $1,800
Seeks to improve the lives of those diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. These funds will allow children to attend their Camp Twitch and Shout.
Country Kids Camp (Walton) – $2,500
Provides youth with outdoor experiences, teambuilding and better health through exercise. This grant will provide financial assistance for children who otherwise couldn’t attend the camp.
Walton County 4-H (Walton) – $7,400
Provides experiences where young people learn by doing. This grant will fund summer projects.
Team Up Mentoring (Walton) – $4,200
Helps community’s most vulnerable children reach their potential. This money will go toward their science, technology, engineering and math summer camp.
Walton County Veteran’s Memorial (Walton) – $10,000
Building a memorial to honor the service of the county’s veterans. These funds will assist in the construction of that memorial.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul (Morgan) – $2,500
Offers tangible assistance to those in need. This grant will provide financial, educational and spiritual support to Morgan County citizens.
Barrow Ministry Village (Barrow) – $1,000
Exposes those in Barrow County to the hope and love of Jesus Christ by meeting their counseling, foster family support and food needs. This grant supports their foster family program.
11 Families – $59,738
Operation Round Up helps families who find themselves in emergency situations and have nowhere else to turn.
Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves 127,000 accounts over its 10-county service area between Atlanta and Athens. One of the seven cooperative principles it operates by is “Concern for Community.”
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