MiEnergy Cooperative members give $5,950 in local donations

Cresco, IA | Rushford, MN  (10 a.m. April 3, 2020)— MiEnergy Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Trust Board met in March and elected to donate $5,950 to the following local organizations:

• Caledonia United Methodist Church, to support the Helping Hands Giveaway which ensures students in Houston County have the supplies they need for the school year.
• $700, Thunder Rode, Decorah, Iowa, to support the youth empowerment program with the purchase of helmets and vaulting equipment.
• $650, Trinity Catholic School, Protivin, Iowa, to help purchase equipment for students with attention needs.
• $500, Commonweal Theatre Company, Lanesboro, Minn., to support the student matinee performances which help make field trips to the theatre accessible for local schools.
• $500, Locust School Museum, Decorah, Iowa, to help with the replacement of basement beams and floor joists as part of a restoration project.
• $500, Harmony Area Community Foundation, to support the building of the Harmony Splash Pad.
• $500, Mainspring, Caledonia, Minn., for audio visual equipment for performances, classes and events.
• $500, The Salvation Army Northern Division, Minn., to support the HeatShare program that provides emergency utility assistance to those in need.
• $400, Pickwick Fire Rescue, to replace a service door at the Homer Station.
• $350, Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa, to help with the improvement and replacement of the limestone walking paths in Diane’s Garden.
• $200, Houston Community Food Shelf, to help provide food to those in need.
• $200, Quilters for Veterans, Castalia, Iowa, for long-arm quilting of quilts to honor veterans.
• $200, Task Takers, Spring Grove, Minn., to purchase supplies for volunteers who help seniors with outdoor tasks as part of the community’s fall cleanup day.

Operation Round Up is funded by donations made by members of MiEnergy Cooperative who voluntarily have their electric bill round up to the next dollar. The average donation is $6 per year and 1,875 MiEnergy members participate.

The program is based on the idea that small change adds up. Currently, the program gives away approximately $11,000 each year to local organizations. 

The Operation Round Up Trust Board chooses where the funds get donated and the amount of the donation based on an application process. The trust board members include: Neil Broadwater, Winona, Minn.; Janelle Mahr, Lime Springs, Iowa, president; Margaret Knutson, Houston, Minn., secretary/treasurer; Larry Hafner, La Crescent, Minn.; Allen Hanson, Preston, Minn.; Arlene Hegge, La Crescent, Minn., vice president; Roy Kryzer, Lewiston, Minn., Shannon Schmelzer, Cresco, Iowa; and PerryO Sliwa, Decorah, Iowa.

Donations to Operation Round Up are tax deductible. Organizations receive grants through an application process. The next application deadline is August 15. To learn more about Operation Round Up or to round up your electric bill, visit www.MiEnergy.coop or call 1-800-432-2285.