JEFFERSON - The Jackson EMC Foundation, a charity funded by the members of Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) through their contributions to the Operation Round Up program, has reached $5 million in grants awarded to area organizations and individuals since the first grants were awarded in October 2005.
In just five years, the Foundation has awarded 476 grants to organizations and 175 grants individuals, helping to make possible everything from the purchase of medical equipment to serve the working poor to a set of dentures.
"I am tremendously proud of the generosity of our members, who have participated in this program in unprecedented numbers even in difficult economic times," said Jackson EMC President/CEO Randall Pugh. "When we laid the groundwork for the foundation, we had no idea the level of support it would gain from our members. They have truly made it their own and used it to improve the lives of others and the quality of life in the communities around them."
Through Operation Round Up, participating Jackson EMC members have their monthly electric bills rounded up to the next dollar amount, averaging about $6 per year per participant. That "spare change" goes to the Jackson EMC Foundation, where a volunteer citizen board reviews applications for assistance and determines how the funds will be distributed. About 89 percent of the cooperative's members participate in Operation Round Up, generating around $85,000 a month for charitable purposes.
"It's a very easy way for members like me to make a small contribution that makes a very big difference," noted Foundation Board Chairman Shade Storey. "It's the whole cooperative principle at work
Friday
October 11th, 2024
6:20PM
