The impact of Operation Round Up continued to create positive change across Cuivre River Electric’s five-county service area throughout 2024 as a new milestone will be reached this year.

A record-breaking year was celebrated in 2024 as the Cuivre River Electric Community Trust Board awarded 283 grants totaling 419,953.65. This was the highest amount recorded in a single year, surpassing the previous high of 409,298.12 awarded in 2022.

Operation Round Up has awarded grants totaling $7.9 million. This year, the program is expected to surpass the $8 million mark early this year. Of the grants awarded last year, 140 grants equaling $170,943.02 were issued to individuals and families, 63 grants for $169,010.63 were presented to organizations and 80 scholarships totaling $80,000 were awarded to area students.

Operation Round Up was created to address needs in the areas of health, education, home weatherization, community and emergency services that cannot be met with other resources. Operation Round Up funds are made possible from CREC members who voluntarily “round up” their electric bill payments each month to the next highest dollar. Over 95 percent of the cooperative’s members participate in Operation Round Up. The average yearly donation is just $6 per member.

Members who wish to donate more each month may enroll in Operation Round Up Plus. This allows for an extra donation amount — such as $1, $5 or more — to be added to their monthly bill. Donations may also be made directly to the Trust or members can choose to donate their capital credit checks to the program. All contributions are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of the funds allocated to Operation Round Up are used for grants.

Operation Round Up funds are administered each month by the seven-member volunteer Trust Board. Applications are accepted monthly, with the deadline on the final day of each month. The Trust Board reviews each application and meets on the second Thursday of the following month.

The following people will serve on the Trust Board in 2024: Mike Dicken and Blanche Kelly (Lincoln/Pike County), Kyle Shell, Tamika Cole and Tammi Kneib (St. Charles County), and Tammy Miller and Rich Barton (Warren County).

Two outgoing trustees — Lisa Dunham and Redonda Heitman — were honored at the December meeting for serving six years on the Trust Board.

Applicants are not required to be CREC members, but they must reside in the co-op’s service area. For more information, call 636-695-4837 or email tschmidt@cuivre.com. Applications are available at the Troy and Lake Saint
Louis offices or can be downloaded at here.