Ashe County Group Receives Grant From Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
West Jefferson, North Carolina (December 12, 2008) – An Ashe County organization received a welcome gift this week: a grant from the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation.
The Ashe Sharing Center received $3,000 to fill a need to purchase food for deserving households in Ashe County.
Grants totaling $29,133 to help 11 different organizations across the Blue Ridge service area were recently made possible by the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation, created in 2006 by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation to expand the cooperative’s commitment to help local communities. The Foundation helps worthy causes that improve the quality of life in local communities.
The Foundation also funds crisis assistance to lend a hand to Blue Ridge Electric members in need of help paying their electric bill and for weatherization assistance. More than $34,000 has been given to deserving households this year. While funded by the Foundation, crisis assistance is determined by local helping agencies such as the Department of Social Services and W.A.M.Y. who can best evaluate needs and qualifications.
Foundation grant monies come from Operation Round Up as well as from donations from the cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies. Through Operation Round Up, Blue Ridge members voluntarily choose to have their monthly electric bills rounded up to the next-highest dollar amount. The difference between the two figures – from a penny to a maximum of 99 cents – is the monthly tax-deductible gift.
Local groups in the Blue Ridge service area who would like to apply for a Members Foundation grant should visit the Community tab of www.BlueRidgeEMC.com or call Patty Wheeler, Foundation Manager, at (336) 246-7138, Ext. 4207.
