PPEC grants awardeded to local entities

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING – Members of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative recently donated $12,925 to 12 local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

About 80 percent of PPEC members round up their electric bill and donate those pennies to this fund, making a huge impact in the co-op’s northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities.

Participating members round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, with the extra pennies being used to help fund charities and groups in their communities. Each quarter, the funds are dispensed to local causes that applied for funding.

Van Wert First United Methodist Church was one of the grand recipients. The church received $1,000 for its annual Operation Back to School event.
In addition, Vantage Career Center’s Toss-a-Toy Program received $1,000 to purchase Christmas gifts for local children and families in need, and Wayne Trace Local Schools also received $1,000 for their positive behavior program.

Other donation recipients include:

• Antwerp Local School, $1,000 for their positive behavior program.
• Children’s Hunger Alliance, $1,500 for weekend meal boxes for Wayne Trace School students.
• Cornerstone Youth Center, Monroeville, Indiana; $1,500 to replace their building pump.
• Friends of the Paulding County Parks, $1,000 for portable toilets fees and expenses.
• Lima Symphony Orchestra, $1,000 to send local students to the Young People’s Concert.

• Mad Anthonys Children’s Hope House, Fort Wayne, $1,500 to cover local family hospital stays.
• Paulding County Economic Development, $700 for start-up costs for a new Young Professionals of Paulding County networking and leadership group.
• Paulding County EMA, $825 for Tempest Weather Systems for 3 communities.
• Paulding Local Schools; $900 for a therapy dog, Luna.

Operation Round Up was started in 2010 as a way to give back to PPEC’s communities. Groups in both Ohio and Indiana can apply.

Organizations can apply for Operation Round Up assistance by contacting Paulding Putnam Electric Co-op’s Marketing and Communications Manager Samantha Kuhn at skuhn@ppec.coop or visiting www.ppec.coop/operation-round. Anyone wishing to participate by rounding up their monthly bill should call PPEC’s office at 800.686.2357. The average member’s annual donation is about $6.