Baldwin EMC is excited to announce that its Operation Round Up program has reached a major milestone: $5 million in grant distributions.

Over the past 16 years, these grants have been made possible through the rounding up of Baldwin EMC members’ bills to the next highest dollar amount, with the extra change being used to fund charitable causes. The grants are distributed by the Baldwin Electric Membership Charitable Foundation, run by a board of nine local volunteers.

Operation Round Up was created in 1989 by a sister cooperative, Palmetto Electric Cooperative in South Carolina. Baldwin EMC adopted the program in 2004 and distributed its first grants to local agencies to aid recovery efforts following Hurricane Ivan.

“While we can calculate how many dollars have been granted through Operation Round Up, there’s no way for us to know the total number of lives that have been positively affected by this program,” said Baldwin EMC CEO Karen Moore. “It’s just a few cents each month for our members, but that ‘small change’ adds up to make a huge impact. Our members’ generosity has created a ripple effect that has spread across our area in immeasurable ways.”

Operation Round Up grants must meet need in one of six qualifying categories: food, shelter, health care, clothing, education and the environment. Over the past 16 years, many local organizations have benefitted from Operation Round Up’s assistance, as well as hundreds of individuals thanks to the program.

More information about Operation Round Up, including how to apply for assistance, is available at www.baldwinemc.com or by calling (251) 989-6247.