|
A lot of people are apparently not aware
that Wake Electric Membership
Corporation, which provides electric
power to 32,000 homes and businesses in
Wake, Franklin, Granville, Durham,
Johnston, Nash and Vance counties, has a
grant program to help nonprofit agencies
in those counties.
The grants of up to $5,000
each are awarded every quarter using
money from the cooperative’s Round-Up
program. Members round up their bill to
the nearest dollar. “All those pennies
make big bucks!” Angela Perez, the
communications and public relations
specialist at WEMC, said.
The most recent grant was
for $3,000 and went to Youngsville Parks
and Recreation to help purchase T-ball,
softball and baseball equipment for the
department’s new baseball park, Luddy
Park Field #2.
The department is feeling
the strain from the explosive growth in
southern Franklin County. “In just the
past year, we’ve added more than one
hundred children to the rosters for
T-ball, baseball and softball,” Brenda
Robbins said. She is the town
administrator. In just five years,
Franklin County has become the ninth
fastest growing county in the state
according to state demographic studies.
“With the Wake County population
exploding and housing prices soaring,
many newcomers to the area are looking
just over the border into Franklin
County,” Robbins said. “We want to be
able to accommodate the influx of
children who want sports and rec
activities.”
Many of the children who
participate in the programs live outside
of Youngsville. The recreation board
continuously searches for outside grant
and funding opportunities in order to
avoid burdening town taxpayers with the
full expense of the program.
Future plans for the
recreation department include batting
cages, picnic areas, a play area for
older children at the field, and a
walking trail.
“The success of our program
relies on grants like the one we’ve
received from Wake Electric,” Robbins
said.
Perez said there were few
applicants for the latest round of
grants. She wants to make sure nonprofit
organizations can apply for help. The
Wake Electric Foundation board considers
grant requests favorably which serve a
broad range of people and use the funds
for educational, charitable or economic
development purposes.
Grants are awarded in
January, April, July and October. The
deadline for the next round of
applications is Friday, June 29, at 5
p.m. For an application, sign up for
Round Up or learn if your organization
qualifies to apply, visit
http://www.wemc.com. |
