The Flint Energies Foundation recently awarded a total of $605,000 in grants to 10 local school districts. The grants are to provide additional support for teachers through classroom supplies and morale improvement.

The following received grants:

• Chattahoochee County School District, $31,000

• Crawford County School District, $37,000

• Houston County School District, $294,000

• Macon County School District, $31,000

• Marion County School District, $31,000

• Muscogee County School District, $26,000

• Peach County School District, $56,000

• Schley County School District, $31,000

• Talbot County School District, $31,000

• Taylor County School District, $37,000

“Flint Energies’ mission is not just to provide electricity, but to improve the quality of life for our Consumer-members and the communities we serve, and that includes our educators,” says Marian McLemore, Flint’s Vice President of Cooperative Communications.

“We appreciate our teachers and the work that they do to educate the next generation. The Flint Energies Foundation wanted to express our deep appreciation to our teachers through the grants given to these school districts,” says Joanne Hamlin, Flint Foundation Chair.

Each elementary school received $6,000; each middle school $8,000; each high school $12,000; and each specialized school and district office received $5,000.

The Flint Energies Foundation provides grants to local non-profits such as this one managing funds donated by Flint Energies Consumer-members through Operation Round Up®. The electric cooperative’s Members contribute $175,000 annually to the Flint Energies Foundation, which supports worthy causes in the 17 counties it serves. Operation Round Up is a way for participating Members to support multiple charitable organizations by simply allowing Flint Energies to round up their bills to the nearest dollar. Donations to Operation Round Up, which average only about $6 per year per member, are tax deductible. About 40% of Flint’s Membership participates in Operation Round Up, but that percentage continues to decline. If you are a Flint Energies Consumer-member and wish to contribute, you can sign up at www.flintenergies.com/ORU or by calling 1.800.342.3616.

Also, any unclaimed capital credits that are deemed abandoned by state law are given to the Flint Energies Foundation to distribute to charitable organizations as well as utilize for education and economic development efforts within the Co-op’s territory. The Flint Energies Foundation has contributed through its large funding initiatives to local law enforcement, fire departments and now schools with these abandoned capital credit funds.

Since 2001, the Flint Energies Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants to local organizations.

The Flint Energies Foundation, a state-chartered, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, disburses all contributions to approved projects; Member contributions are not used for administration costs. Foundation Board members include Chair Joanne Hamlin, Lizella; Vice Chair Eloise Doty, Butler; Secretary Connie McCutchen, Midland; Treasurer John Luppino, Warner Robins; Gina Fink, Fort Valley; Charles Harrison, Grovania; Pat Bartness, Warner Robins; Traci Kemp, Warner Robins; Betty Chase, Oglethorpe; Roger Sinyard, Mauk; and Ian Russell, Fort Valley.