Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation Reaches $1 Million Giving Mark and 10th Year Anniversary

LENOIR, NC (October 12, 2017)…A decade ago, Blue Ridge Energy’s vision for a better future for the members and communities it serves led to the founding of the cooperative’s Members Foundation. As the Foundation celebrates its 10-year anniversary, it’s also celebrating $1 million giving mark.

Officially, the Foundation will surpass the $1 million mark for community grants after it awards this year’s grants next month. The Members Foundation is also quickly approaching another milestone with $3 million in total assistance including helping members and families stay warm in the winter with heating bill assistance. 

A Foundation Advisory Committee, made up of volunteer members, review applications annually and make grant recommendations to the cooperative’s Board of Directors for funding approval.

The Members Foundation was formed in 2007 upon the growing success of Blue Ridge members giving to help fellow members through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up programs. The Foundation is also supported by donations from the profits of the cooperative’s propane and fuels subsidiary and its broadband business service subsidiary. 

While crisis heating assistance remains a cornerstone of Foundation support, improving local quality of life is being achieved through funding for Foundation grants in the areas of health and wellness, education and youth, environmental enhancement, as well as economic and community development.  Grants are available for nonprofit organizations serving the Blue Ridge Energy service areas of Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Allegany, Avery, Alexander, and Wilkes counties in North Carolina and Grayson County, Virginia.

If you would like to give to Operation Round Up to join the effort for long term community quality of life efforts and crisis heating assistance, please call a local Blue Ridge Energy office or go online www.blueridgeenergy.com/community/operation-round-up. To learn more about the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation visit: https://www.blueridgeenergy.com/community/bre-members-foundation.

Blue Ridge Energy is a cooperative utility serving some 75,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Wilkes and Alexander counties. Blue Ridge Energy’s Propane and Fuels subsidiary offers gas hearth and home products as well as residential and business propane and fuel from the cooperative’s offices in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, Sparta and from offices in Morganton and Independence, Virginia. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com.