Operation Round Up grant to be used for park improvements

From left, Millen Better Hometown Board Member Diane Wade and Millen Better Hometown Manager Art Johnson receive grant check of $2,500 to develop park behind Millen Community House from Planters EMC General Manager Matt Brinson and Operation Round Up Board Member John Roy Clifton. (Photo contributed)

Planters Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) Operation Round Up board members approved over $21,640 in grants awarded to local organizations that applied for funds through the Operation Round Up program. In a little over twelve months since the cooperative started the program, Planters EMC has contributed more than $61,940 to local communities through Operation Round Up.

Operation Round Up funds are collected by rounding up member's electric bills to the nearest dollar amount. A few cents a month adds up when a lot of people participate in the voluntary program. The average amount is around 50 cents a month or about $6.00 per year. This small change can be used to do a lot of good.

Some of the benefits of Operation Round Up were recog- nized by the Millen Better Hometown who recently received a grant of $2,500.

"We plan on using the grant to purchase playground equipment and landscape the park behind the Millen Community House," said Millen Better Hometown Manager Art Johnson. "We hope to include in the park trees, shrubs, a picnic shelter, benches and a gazebo."

Citizens will one day be able to enjoy three separate areas: a quiet sitting area, a picnic area and a playground.

Other organizations receiving grants this quarter included: Center for New Beginnings - grant of $2,000 for education and counseling services for special needs children; Edmund Burke Academy - grant of $2,550 for two onsite defibrillators; Jenkins County High School Freshman Academy - grant of $1,998 for classroom equipment and supplies; Jenkins County Hospital - grant of $3,750 for medical equipment; Screven County Chamber of Commerce - grant of $2,500 for renovating museum; Millen-Jenkins County Fire Rescue - grant of $1,000 for copy machine; Screven County High School - grant of $1,645 for graphing calculators; South Jenkins District Volunteer Fire Department grant of $1,698 for portable water pump; Wimberly House Ministries, Inc. - grant of $2,000 for after school latchkey children's program.

Applications for grants can be down loaded from www.plantersemc.com website or by contacting Paula Adams at (478) 982-4722. Application deadline for the next round of grants to be disbursed is Friday, Jan. 11, 2008.