Members of Paulding Putnam recently donated $13,387 to seventeen local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

Thanks to the 80% of members who round up their electric bill and donate to this fund, Paulding Putnam has provided more than $778,819 to northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities since 2010.

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:

• Continental Parents of Pirates (POP): $700 to help cover the expenses of their end-of-year field day
• Continental Volunteer Fire Dept. Association: $1,950 to purchase an AED
• Crestview Early Childhood Center: $500 to purchase items for their Trunk or Treat event
• Defiance County Historical Society: $500 to restore the Wabash Railroad Boxcar
• Defiance Soil & Water Conservation District: $500 to install an outdoor message board with a pet waste bag dispenser
• Family Promise of Lima – Allen County: $1,650 to purchase air mattresses, sheets, and bed bug covers
• Marquardt Lutheran Church: $1,000 to purchase backpacks with school supplies for Heritage Elementary
• Paulding County Economic Development: $500 to purchase items for the Youth Business Showcase
• Paulding County Hospital Foundation: $500 to provide support and education materials for the BBQ chicken luncheon
• Paulding County Opportunity Center: $500 to purchase food pantry items for students
• Paulding Elementary: $400 to support their field trip to Auglaize Canoe & Kayak
• Paulding Exempted Village Schools: $500 to support installing 15 little libraries at key community locations
• Paulding High School Blessings in a Bag: $1,287 to provide weekend meal bags for students in need
• Van Wert County Humane Society: $400 to help cover costs for spay/neuter vet clinics
• Van Wert County Victims Services: $500 to cover printing materials
• Van Wert Elks Lodge: $1,500 to purchase a defibrillator
• Woodland Band Boosters: $500 to purchase props, including fences and benches

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

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

Organizations can apply for Operation Round Up assistance by contacting Paulding Putnam’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 Paulding Putnam’s office at 800-686-2357. The average member’s donation is about $6 per year.