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Alleghany Community Helping Agencies Receive Foundation Grants
(Front row l-r): Bryan Edwards, Mitch Franklin and Johnny Wishon, Blue Ridge board members; Joel Souther, Blue Ridge Energy Alleghany district manager;
(Back row l-r): Terry Edwards and Heather Andrews, Blue Ridge Developmental Day; Steve Mason, Alleghany Wellness Center; Theresa March and Larry Myers, Solid Rock Food Closet; Becky Miller and Wesley Starling, Alleghany County Group Homes.
(Back row l-r): Terry Edwards and Heather Andrews, Blue Ridge Developmental Day; Steve Mason, Alleghany Wellness Center; Theresa March and Larry Myers, Solid Rock Food Closet; Becky Miller and Wesley Starling, Alleghany County Group Homes.
Alleghany County citizens will benefit from five grants worth $37,500 awarded recently to local helping agencies from Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation for the 2019 grant cycle.
The grants are examples of why the cooperative established the Members Foundation in 2007 to support the work of community organizations providing services that improve the quality of life for the cooperative’s members. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded over $1.3 million in community grants. Projects in the areas of health, wellness, education, youth, and economic and community development are the Foundation’s priorities for support.
A grand total of $173,000 was awarded to 30 different organizations across the Blue Ridge service area. Local Alleghany County agencies receiving grant awards include:
- Alleghany County Group Homes - $8,500 to update lighting in the main day facility to energy efficient LED lighting;
- Alleghany Wellness Center - $4,000 to expand training programs to stay current with wellness trends to keep clients more active and interested in bettering their health;
- Blue Ridge Developmental Day - $10,000 to support food distribution to those in need;
- Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation – $10,000 to support the upgrade and reopening of the Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Solid Rock Food Closet – $5,000 to support food distribution to at-risk children in Alleghany County.
During 2019, the Foundation also provided crisis funding assistance to more than 1,000 Blue Ridge Energy members in need of emergency help to pay their electric bills. While crisis assistance is funded by the Foundation, local helping agencies evaluate needs and determine who qualifies for assistance.
Funding for Foundation grants and crisis assistance comes from members participating in Blue Ridge Energy’s Operation Round Up® and Operation Round Up Plus® programs as well as a annual contributions from profits of the cooperative’s subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energy, LLC and Ridgelink. Over 25,000 members are either rounding up their monthly electric bill with Operation Round Up or adding a dollar or more with Operation Round Up Plus. Members also contribute by donating some or all of their annual capital credits.
Anyone with questions about the Foundation, or agencies interested in applying for grants, may contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, at 828-759-8994 or gscheer@blueridgeenergy.com.
Blue Ridge Energy is a cooperative utility serving some 76,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Wilkes and Alexander counties. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com.
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