Spare Change, Big Impact: Baldwin EMC Operation Round Up Grants Aid Four Local Nonprofits

SUMMERDALE, Ala. — Four nonprofit organizations that work with struggling parents, people with disabilities, elementary students and homeless families are receiving new support through Baldwin EMC’s Operation Round Up grants, funded a few cents at a time by the electric cooperative’s members.

The Baldwin County Electric Membership Charitable Foundation recently awarded the grants to One More Moment, Inc.; The Arc of the Gulf Coast Alabama; Liberty Learning Foundation; and Family Promise of Baldwin County. Together, the four groups focus on mental health, disability services, civic education and housing assistance for families, students and individuals across the region.

Who received grants

Each of the four organizations serves a different need in the community:

• One More Moment, Inc. will use its grant to support resources and training programs for parents of children facing mental health challenges.
• The Arc of the Gulf Coast Alabama provides services, advocacy and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Baldwin County.
• Liberty Learning Foundation will use the grant to support civic and character-building programs for elementary school students in Baldwin and southern Monroe counties.
• Family Promise of Baldwin County provides transitional housing, case management and support services to local families experiencing homelessness.

The foundation did not announce the individual grant amounts.

Helping parents of children with mental health needs

One More Moment’s grant is aimed at parents, a group that often carries much of the day-to-day weight when a child is struggling with mental health. Parents may need help understanding a diagnosis, finding treatment, working with schools or simply knowing how to respond at home. The funding will support resources and training programs designed for those parents.

Support for people with disabilities

The Arc of the Gulf Coast Alabama works with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Baldwin County, offering services, advocacy and support. The Arc is a long-established name in disability advocacy nationally, with local chapters across the country that work on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Civics and character for young students

Liberty Learning Foundation’s grant will support civic and character-building programs for elementary school students in Baldwin County and in the southern part of neighboring Monroe County. Programs like these introduce young children to ideas such as citizenship, respect and responsibility at an age when those lessons can shape how they see their role in their community.

The inclusion of southern Monroe County reflects the reach of the grant program beyond Baldwin County’s borders.

A path out of homelessness for families

Family Promise of Baldwin County provides transitional housing, case management and support services to local families experiencing homelessness. Transitional housing gives families a stable place to stay while they work toward permanent housing, and case management helps them address the problems that led to the loss of a home, from employment to budgeting and access to services.

Family homelessness can be less visible than other forms of homelessness, as families may move between relatives, motels and vehicles before seeking help. Programs that keep parents and children together while they regain stability can make a significant difference for children’s schooling and well-being.

How Operation Round Up works

Baldwin EMC is a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered in Summerdale. Its Operation Round Up program, established in 2004, raises money in a simple way: participating members’ monthly electric bills are rounded up to the next whole dollar.

If a bill comes to $97.42, for example, a participating member pays $98, and the extra 58 cents goes to the program. Because the round-up on any single bill can never be more than 99 cents, a participating member contributes at most $11.88 a year.

That spare change is pooled and used to fund grants for eligible organizations and for individuals in need. Small amounts from many members add up: since the program began, Operation Round Up has distributed more than $7 million in grants to local agencies and individuals.

Round-up programs of this kind are common among electric cooperatives across the country. Because cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, programs like Operation Round Up allow those members to pool their resources to support causes in their own communities.

What kinds of needs qualify

Operation Round Up funding is available for initiatives that fall into one of six categories:

• Food
• Clothing
• Shelter
• Health
• Environment
• Education

The four latest grants touch several of those categories, including health, through mental health and disability services; shelter, through housing assistance for homeless families; and education, through civic programs for elementary students.

For organizations and members

Nonprofits and individuals who believe they may qualify for Operation Round Up assistance can contact Baldwin EMC for information on eligibility and the application process. Members who want to participate in the round-up program, or check whether their account already participates, can also contact the cooperative.

At a glance

• Program: Baldwin EMC Operation Round Up, administered through the Baldwin County Electric Membership Charitable Foundation
• Latest recipients: One More Moment, Inc.; The Arc of the Gulf Coast Alabama; Liberty Learning Foundation; Family Promise of Baldwin County
• Focus areas: Mental health, disability services, civic education and housing assistance
• Program started: 2004
• Total distributed: More than $7 million since the program began
• Eligible categories: Food, clothing, shelter, health, environment and education