Kankakee Valley REMC Operation Round Up Awards $2,000 Grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of LaPorte County

Kankakee Valley REMC Operation Round Up Awards $2,000 Grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of LaPorte County

Kankakee Valley REMC Operation Round Up recently presented a $2,000 grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of LaPorte County to assist with support staffing and supply costs for programming at the Westville Club location.     

Estimated to serve approximately 80 students in kindergarten through eighth grade this year, the Boys and Girls Clubs of LaPorte County offers free after-school programming that supports academic success, character & citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Membership in this program is provided free to the community.   

"A goal of Operation Round Up is to provide opportunities for organizations through the gift of a grant. The Boys and Girls Clubs of LaPorte County is offering important programming that benefits students to live healthy lives as students and adults. The mission of this organization reflects the co-op's mission of being committed to the community and our youth. We appreciate this organization's dedication to improving students' quality of life," stated Amanda Steeb, director of marketing and communications for Kankakee Valley REMC.  

Operation Round Up is a grant program through Kankakee Valley REMC. It works by rounding each KV REMC member's bill to the nearest dollar. The extra amount that's added on is then placed into a trust fund and awarded to non-profit organizations in the community. Over nearly two decades, Operation Round Up has given back over one million dollars in grant money to hundreds of deserving organizations.

"Our second school year at the Westville Club is off to an amazing start, with programming consistently operating at capacity," says Michelle Shirk, Chief Executive Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County. "We are very grateful for Kankakee Valley REMC's generous support of our efforts to provide local youth with fun, free places to spend time when school is not in session. The Club is where kids belong!"

Kankakee Valley REMC is a membership cooperative delivering power to more than 18,000 residential and commercial members in the rural areas of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Marshall, Pulaski, St. Joseph, and Starke counties. Its focus is strengthening the organization's cooperative community by encouraging trust, education, and an open forum for ideas. 

Photo Caption:  Ed Marks, Operation Round Up board director, presents a $2,000 grant to the Boys and Girls Club of LaPorte County CEO Michelle Shirk to assist with the Westville Club program.