Blue Ridge Electric Pledges Donation to Ashe Services for Aging
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
West Jefferson, North Carolina (May 10, 2000) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation has pledged a $5,000 donation to Ashe Services for Aging, Inc. to support the agency’s intergenerational day care center’s expansion campaign. Ashe County residents, from infants to the elderly, will benefit from the expanded facility and services.
The intergenerational day care center has become a very popular and successful part of the Senior Center on Chatty Rob Lane since it opened in 1996. “We are running out of room for both the adults and the children. The expansion will allow us to better serve an ever-growing population in Ashe County,” explained Jane Banks, executive director.
The expansion adds 5,000 square feet to the facility added Banks. Funding for the expansion includes $500,000 raised through private donations and a $200,000 grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission. In addition to the intergenerational day care facilities, the center also provides after school care, adult day health care and a popular exercise program.
Penny Harless, customer service manager of Blue Ridge Electric’s Ashe district office, recently presented the first of three checks to fulfill the pledge to Jane Banks and Shannon Montgomery, intergenerational day care administrator. “The need for this type of care in Ashe County is continually growing. We have made a commitment to our communities to help improve the way of life for our citizens and are pleased our pledge will further this commitment,” explained Harless.
Blue Ridge Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative providing electric service to over 60,000 members in northwest North Carolina. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, recently expanded its service area to include offering fuel oil, gasoline, and propane gas service to Ashe County residents and businesses when it purchased the former Ashe Oil Company.
