Broad River Charities Donates $24,000
Nine local non-profit organizations and one benevolent fund received donations totaling $24,000 from Broad River Electric Charities on Monday at Broad River Electric Cooperative headquarters in Gaffney.
The Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross was given $6,000. The Cleveland Park Accident Fund, the Cherokee County Literacy Association, the Children’s Advocacy Center, Habitat for Humanity of Cherokee County, Iron City Ministries, Operation Restoration, Options Medical/Cherokee Pregnancy Center, Senior Centers of Cherokee County and the Union Disabilities and Special Needs Board each received donations of $2,000.
“Since our first donations in January, we have had an overwhelming response of grant requests from organizations and agencies across Broad River’s service territory,” said Bob Bodie, Chair of the Broad River Electric Charities Board. “That obviously illustrates an extraordinary need that is present in our communities. The ability to help meet some of those needs by funding these various causes illustrates the generosity of the Broad River Electric Cooperative membership.”
All monies donated are provided by Broad River Electric’s membership, most of whom have been rounding up their monthly balances to the nearest dollar since October 2010 through the Operation Round Up program. That extra change goes to a benevolent fund that assists organizations and goodwill missions in and around Broad River’s service area.
American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The Piedmont Chapter serves Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties and has recently deployed volunteers to assist with the cleanup after several devastating tornadoes and storms hit the South.
The Cleveland Park Accident Fund was established to defer medical costs to the surviving victims of the March 19 tragedy at Spartanburg’s Cleveland Park. Though established by Corinth Baptist Church in Gaffney, the fund will benefit all victims of the train wreck.
The Cherokee County Literacy Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to teach adults in Cherokee County to read. The donation from Broad River Electric Charities will help provide a needed technological upgrade to the organization.
The Children’s Advocacy Center provides an array of services to child victims of physical and sexual abuse and their families in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties. The donation will fund forensic assessments, medical exams, counseling and other services.
Habitat for Humanity of Cherokee County is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that works in partnership with all people in need to build decent, affordable housing in Cherokee County. The donation will help finance the rehabilitation of an older home recently donated to the organization.
Iron City Ministries is a non-profit organization based in Blacksburg that helps people in Cherokee County who are in need, a number that has increased dramatically over the last few years. The funds donated will be used to assist their clients with rent, medication and other bills.
Operation Restoration, a Community Development Corporation (CDC), is a non-profit community-based organization that serves money-poor families and neighborhoods in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties by promoting economic self-sufficiency and positive character development. The donation will be used to provide educational and cultural enrichment programs to reduce school drop-out, teen pregnancy and homelessness.
Options Medical Clinic is a non-profit, Christian ministry based in Gaffney that provides clinical services, counseling and education to young mothers and mothers-to-be. The donation will help fund the organization’s new Earn While You Learn program, which offers young moms the opportunity to gain parenting skills and other life skills.
The Senior Centers of Cherokee County provide senior adults with information and services designed to assist them in leading independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities. The donation will help fund the purchase of minivan to deliver meals to homebound clients and to provide transportation for clients.
The Union Disabilities and Special Needs Board provides services to individuals with disabilities or special needs in Union County. The money will assist in the enhancement and renovation of their clients’ residences.
Funds from Operation Round Up are distributed through Broad River Electric Charities, Inc, which is governed by a 7-member board representing the cooperative and the three major counties it serves – Cherokee, Union and Spartanburg. Broad River Electric Charities has donated a total of $56,000 to local organizations in 2011, $44,000 of which have come from Operation Round Up funds. Organizations wishing to request funds can contact the cooperative to begin the application process.
Broad River Electric Charities is a philanthropic subsidiary of Broad River Electric Cooperative, which serves more than 20,000 members in Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union and Newberry counties in South Carolina and Cleveland, Polk and Rutherford counties in North Carolina. As a non-profit, member-owned utility, Broad River Electric Cooperative strives to be a consumer advocate for the people that use the energy we distribute.
