Members of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative recently donated $13,000 to 12 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:

• Putnam County Firefighters Association; $3,000 for a leadership series
• Leipsic Community Center; $2,000 for produce and seeds to feed the hungry and educate them about how to grow their own garden
• Children’s Hunger Alliance; $1,500 for food assistance for Paulding Schools
• Friends of the Paulding County Parks; $1,000 for park bathrooms
• Mad Anthonys Children’s House of Hope (Fort Wayne, Indiana); $1,000 for temporary housing for families with sick children
• Toss a Toy (Vantage Career Center); $1,000 for Christmas presents for local children
• Lima Symphony Orchestra; $1,000 for free concerts for local school children
• Wayne Trace Schools; $500 for equipment and science toys
• Van Wert YMCA; $500 for a pool AED
• Van Wert County Habitat for Humanity; $500 for energy efficient appliances, windows, and doors for a new local home
• Paulding High School; $500 to support their positive behavior program and fund speakers
• Kalida Elementary School; $500 for their positive behavior program

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 Communications Coordinator 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 annual donation is about $6.