Wow, what a flurry of grant applications we received for the first quarter!
We are excited to share with you that the Southwest Members Care (SMC) charity round-up program awarded 23 grants totaling $76,747 with an additional $10,000 from the Tennessee Valley Authority in matching funds to four of these organizations to help them supply food to those hit hardest by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations received $5,000 each: Estes Church of Christ food pantry, Bread of Life Food Pantry, Brighton Baptist Church food pantry and 911 Gives through Aire Serv Heating and Air.
This made a grand total of $86,747 given to charitable organizations in our community for the first quarter of 2020 — all because you, our Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation members, care enough to donate your spare change to effect community change.
As a reminder: The SMC program rounds up members’ electric bills to the next dollar. The average contribution per member is about 50 cents per account per month. Contributions range from 1 cent to 99 cents per month. For each account, members contribute from 12 cents to $11.88 for an entire year. Such a small act of kindness adds up to big contributions for organizations in our community.
If your organization would like to apply for a grant, please visit our website for guidelines and an application. The deadline for the next grant applications is Sept. 30.
Following is a list of the 23 grants that were awarded for the first quarter of 2020. For more information about the Southwest Members Care program and to find a grant application, visit our website, www.stemc.com.
The Southwest Members Care program recently awarded a grant of $2,500 to The Bread of Life Food Pantry in Covington. This grant was matched with $2,500 from TVA’s COVID-19 Community Care Fund. The Bread of Life Food Pantry ministry at First United Methodist Church in Covington, in conjunction with Mid South Food Bank, has been serving the folks of Tipton County for many years. In a typical month, it serves 350–400 families. However, during the COVID-19 situation, the food pantry has been feeding 500–600 families per month. This grant will go a long way toward helping local families during this challenging time. At left, from left are Marilyn Means, STEMC board member; Sarah Smith, Bread of Life Food Pantry; and Rosemary Bridges, SMC board member.
Donations through the Southwest Members Care program enabled the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse to purchase some much-needed equipment to assist Haywood County children facing difficult situations. At left, Rick Downing, SMC board member, and Kevin Murphy, STEMC president, present the grant to Beth Wilson, Shea Davis, Tina Crabb and Martha Ledford from the Carl Perkins Center.
Brighton Baptist Church’s food pantry received a grant to help serve families in the community during this challenging time. The food pantry received a $2,500 grant from the Southwest Members Care program and a matching $2,500 grant from TVA’s COVID-19 Community Care Fund. The food pantry is open to anyone with a need. At left, from left are Marilyn Means, STEMC board member; Lawrence Jerry, Scott Pearl, Carol Moore and Cathye Lyles from Brighton Baptist; and Rosemary Bridges, SMC board member.
This ramp is just one of several built by the Brotherhood Ramp Builders with Southwest Members Care funds. At left are SMC board member Rick Downing, Terry Brown, Danny Kizer, Ed Wood, STEMC President Kevin Murphy, Larry Stanley, homeowner Bessie Shaw and Butch Porch.
