Carroll White REMC’s Operation Round Up® Board of Trustees met to distribute funds in the third quarter of 2023. Trustees granted $9,063 to seven nonprofits in our service territory.
“As we stated at the Annual Meeting, Operation Round Up is nearing the $1 million mark,” said Carroll White REMC Communication & Public Relations Manager Casey Crabb. “We could not be more excited as we near this milestone, and we humbly thank each and every member who rounds up their bill monthly in the spirit of helping others!”
In this quarter, the largest grant awarded was $2,750, given to West Central’s Family Career and Community Leadership of America (FCCLA) organization. Three West Central FCCLA students advanced from state competition to nationals.
While at the national competition, Stephanie Thilges attended an advisor academy and the students attended a leadership academy. “FCCLA is a national career and technical organization that provides personal growth, leadership development and career preparation opportunities for students in family and consumer sciences education,” Thilges explained.
Burlington Community Park Board received a $2,000 grant to assist in purchasing new playground equipment. Operation Round Up funds will assist the Carroll County Park Board in matching grant requirements for this extensive project.
“The requested funds will be used to help secure a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority to recreate a portion of the playground with new equipment,” wrote grant writer Alan D. Jackson, adding, “Inclusive/ adaptive equipment will be installed to make it possible for more people to enjoy the playground!”
Three $1,000 grants were also awarded in this grant cycle, to: Leadership White County, Warrior Up Kids Club and Remington Wolcott Ministerial Association.
“We are excited to say that 2023/2024 is the BIG 10 season of Leadership White County, a community-centered leadership training program,” wrote grant writer Deb Conover. “This in-depth leadership development program is designed to develop leadership capacity by providing a curriculum that includes both personal and community leadership development topics.”
Warrior Up Kids Club is part of Winamac First United Methodist Church, and it will use its $1,000 grant to support its after-school program. “Students meet every day afterschool and in the summer,” wrote grant writer Debra Winter. “The program focuses on grades by providing tutors and homework helpers. There are very few activities for students after school and in the summer. We want our program to be a safe and drug-free place for students.”
Remington Wolcott Ministerial Association’s $1,000 grant will be used to continue working to find the financial resources to sustain the Remington Food Pantry. The Remington Food Pantry is now located at 16 E. North St. in Remington. The Remington Wolcott Ministerial Association is comprised of local churches that provide volunteers for the food pantry on a monthly basis.
Carroll County Soil & Water received $813 in Operation Round Up funds to help purchase trees for each local second-grade student and teacher in 2024. “We are proposing purchasing evergreen plugs instead of more stick-like plants,” wrote grant writer Rhonda Hicks. “We plan to go through a private nursery for white spruce trees.”
Carroll County Soil & Water also received a $500 grant to assist in “replacing a groundwater simulation system that is used to demonstrate to students the concepts and characteristics of aquifers and surface leaching of pollutants,” wrote grant writer Hicks. “We use this as one of our sessions at Ag Day, where the Delphi FFA demonstrates the impact of environmental factors on groundwater resources to fourth graders,” Hicks continued.
For more information about Operation Round Up, visit our website, www.cwremc.coop.
