Members of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative recently donated $10,050 to 8 local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

About 80% of PPEC members round up their electric bill and donate those pennies to this fund, making a huge impact in the co-op’s northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities.

Participating members round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, with the extra pennies being used to help fund charities and groups in their communities. Each quarter, the funds are dispensed to local causes that applied for funding.

The most recent donation recipients include:

• Antwerp Local Schools; $1,000 to provide funding for the junior class trip to Washington D.C.
• Leaders of Tomorrow 4-H Club; $850 to purchase T-shirts for the Paulding County Fair
• Off the Streets Van Wert County; $1,200 to provide funding for security deposits to get homeless families housing
• Paulding Chamber of Commerce (Leadership in Action group's service project); $2,000 to repaint structures at the Paulding Reservoir Park
• Paulding High School Quiz Bowl Team; $2,000 to provide funding for hotel and registration for students to compete at Nationals
• Paulding Soil and Water Conservation District; $1,000 to provide funding for the Paulding County Trails Project
• Putnam County 4-H Council; $500 to purchase Farm Safety Day T-shirts
• Van Wert Middle School; $1,500 to purchase Makerspace supplies

Photos of each recipient can be found on PPEC’s Facebook page.

Operation Round Up was started in 2010 as a way to give back to PPEC’s communities. Groups in both Ohio and Indiana can apply.

Organizations can apply for Operation Round Up assistance by contacting Paulding Putnam Electric Co-op’s Marketing and Communications Manager Samantha Kuhn at skuhn@ppec.coop or visiting www.ppec.coop/operation-round. If you want to participate by rounding up your monthly bill, call PPEC’s office at 800-686-2357. The average member’s donation is about $6 per year.