ST. MARYS — Midwest Electric donated $14,700 to 17 west-central Ohio charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Community Connection Fund. Thanks to the 90% of members who round up their electric bills and donate to this fund, Midwest Electric has provided $1,302,169 to 1,090 local charitable causes since 1998.
The latest recipients of grants include: Van Wert County Park District, $1,000 for maintenance of the Van Wert County Trail and the Warrior Trail in Ohio City; Village of Chickasaw, $1,000 to install a generator at the new village hall; Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, $250 to purchase a new color printer; North Valley CYO, $500 to purchase t-shirts and water bottles for the athletes at the state CYO basketball tournament; Erastus Church and Community Hall, $1,000 towards the purchase of a new furnace and insulation; Foundations Behavioral Health Services, $750 for the Mercer County Youth to Youth retreat; Parkway FFA, $2,000 to build a new greenhouse at the school for the students; VentureLINX, $300 to purchase a time clock and document destruction box locks; Auglaize County Sheriff Department, $1,000 towards the purchase of a drone equipped with a thermal camera for the Special Population Operation Team; St. Marys Middle School, $1,000 to purchase books for a school-wide reading project; JTD Hospital Foundation, $700 to support activities associated with the Grand Lake Health Challenge; SAFY Lima Behavioral Health, $1,000 to purchase sensory-based materials to use with their clients; Spencerville Educational Foundation, $1,000 to promote, improve, enrich, and supplement programs and activities beyond what is possible with public funds; Allen County Sheriff’s Posse, $1,500 to purchase needed safety equipment for the horses and deputies; Crime Victim Services, $750 to provide programs and support to victims of violence and crime in Allen and Putnam Counties; Delphos Baseball and Softball Association, $800 to purchase netting for a batting cage; and Blake Rodgers Memorial Fund, $150 donation to a memorial fund for a Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative apprentice lineman who lost his life in an electrical contact accident while restoring power during a winter storm in December.
The Midwest Electric Community Connection Fund is a voluntary charitable program in which members’ monthly electric bills are rounded up to the next dollar, with the additional pennies deposited in the Fund. A board of trustees, composed of cooperative members, oversees the application and allocation process.
Individuals or organizations can obtain an application by contacting Midwest Electric at 1-800-962-3830 or visiting midwestrec.com/community-connection-fund.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
