Members of Paulding Putnam recently donated $9,854 to seven 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 $788,673 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 expenses for their end-of-year field day
• Leaders of Tomorrow 4-H Club: $1,212 to purchase club t-shirts
• Ottoville Fire Association: $2,142 to purchase multigas detector meters
• Paulding FFA: $1,500 to purchase hygiene items for the Panther’s Hygiene Care Closet
• Putnam County 4-H Council: $500 to purchase t-shirts for all third graders in Putnam County attending Farm Safety Day
• United Way of Van Wert: $500 to support the Rivals United event
• YMCA of Van Wert County: $1,000 to renovate the kids game room
• YWCA of Van Wert County: $3,000 to purchase a new security system for the facility

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.