We have the POWER to make a difference!
At the June 2016 Annual Meeting of Members the Spoon River Electric membership favorably voted to investigate a new program called Operation Round Up. Operation Round Up collects pennies, nickels and dimes from members of the co-op family to create a reliable source of funding for organizations that assist in charitable, civic and educational programs in the communities we serve. That’s right, we have the POWER to make a difference!
The launch of the program will be considered at Annual Meeting in June of 2017. If the program moves forward, beginning with the bill you receive in August of 2017, it will be rounded up to the nearest dollar. For example, if your bill is $73.68, you will be charged $74.00. Those extra 32 pennies will go into the Operation Round Up account for later distribution to organizations that are serving the health, safety, education or recreational needs of citizens within our service territory.
Imagine giving the firefighters at your rural firehouse 32 cents every month. Even a cup of coffee costs more than that these days. Now imagine that you and 4,900 other Spoon River members all gave 32 cents. Together, you’d be giving your fire station nearly $1,568. Think about what that money could do to strengthen your firefighters’ ability to protect families and save homes from the devastation of an accidental fire. If could help to purchase needed equipment or offer safety instruction to school children.
Now multiply those possibilities for financial assistance throughout the community. Suddenly, the power of 32 cents is pretty impressive!
Under the program, donations are placed in the Spoon River Electric Foundation Fund, for distribution decided by cooperative members appointed by their respective Spoon River director.
You might be asking, how do I know where the funds go? We will publish information about the awards and recipients in our newsletters, on our website and social media outlets, as well as the local newspapers. Funds will not be used to pay utility bills, nor will they be used for political purposes or added to the co-op operating budget. As a member of the Cooperative, you will be able to inquire about any programs you might have questions about. The Board wants to make this program as transparent as possible.
Together, we have the POWER to make a difference. Stay tuned for further details regarding the program. Please vote YES for Operation Round Up at the 2017 Annual Membership Meeting.