Organizations meet community needs with help from
generous ECE members
February 2011
Nearly $14,000 was recently distributed from the ECE
Operation Round Up® (ORU) Trust to help local
organizations meet community needs.
ECE established the Trust in
1997 as a convenient, low-cost way for members to
donate to local charitable organizations. Members
who participate agree to have their monthly electric
bill rounded up to the next dollar. An independent
board, made up of ECE member volunteers, administers
the Trust, meeting quarterly to review grant
requests and disburse the funds. The average annual
contribution for members who participate is $6; the
maximum annual donation through the round-up process
is $11.88 When the ORU Trust Board met
January 25, the following organizations received
grants:
-
Braham Police
Department, Braham, MN, $2,780 to purchase
two AED units so both city patrol cars will have
them at all times
-
Family Pathways,
Cambridge, MN, $4,300 to increase food
storage capacity and make food purchases for the
food shelf program.
-
Milaca Fine Arts Council,
Milaca, MN, $1,125 to help porvide temporary
venue for conducting art shows, children's art
classes and other activities during the summer
months.
-
Braham Area
Kinderstep Preschool program, $2,970 to
provide scholarships for 11 children to attend
the Kinderstep program during the 2010-11 school
year.
-
Cambridge Isanti
Competitive Baseball, $2,000 to help local
young people with the baseball program fees so
they can participate in 2011.
-
Senior Helping
Hands, St. Cloud, MN, $350 to assist with
mileage reimbursement for volunteers from ECE’s
Benton County service territory.
-
Community Christian
School, Pease, MN, $411 to help replace
chairs with exercise stability balls as an
innovative way to improve students’ posture and
attention.
ECE members who
would like to join their fellow members in
supporting the Operation Round Up program can sign
up by checking the box at the bottom of their bill
or by calling 1-800-254-7944. Community
organizations which serve ECE members can contact
Julie Johnson, 763-689-8046, if they are interested
in applying to the Operation Round Up Trust.
