‘Operation Roundup’ changes lives with small change

MAT-SU - The MEA Roundup board met in mid-January to choose the recipients of this quarter's grants. The board is comprised of seven members representing each district of MEA's service territory, the Matanuska, Susitna and Eagle River districts.

The new foundation's primary purpose and mission is to provide financial support for individuals, organizations and nonprofits for food, shelter, clothing, health needs and education. Since last November, the foundation's board has worked diligently to give back to our local communities.

Allocations of grants have been divided into two categories: 50 percent to be given to 501(c)3 organizations and 30 percent to individuals with a small percentage for special consideration by the board. Priority areas of need include basic needs, medical, arts, public safety, elder support, youth services and community support. The board's organization committee and individual/family committee scrutinized all applications and each potential recipient is personally interviewed.

Grants to individuals also are vetted by a sub-committee. Individual grants are passed through organizations such as churches and organizations like Love Inc., which acts as a conduit for distribution of the grants. All organizational grants are given to 501(c)3 nonprofits. Grant awarded for the first quarter of 2012 totaled $53,233 that will be given in increments of half now, and half in April at MEA's annual meeting. Grants approved in the last quarter of 2011 totaled $35,353.65. In 2010, the MEA Board of Directors created the MEA Charitable Foundation, better known as Operation Roundup. Operation Roundup automatically rounds up a participating MEA members' electric bills to the nearest dollar. For example, a bill for $17.89 would round up to $18 and the .11 would contribute to the program.

• Children’s Lunch Box: $2,000 to help provide school lunches through the newly formed arm of Mat-Su Boys and Girls Club. Last year, more than 100,000 meals were provided to kids in the Anchorage School District.

• Pillows for Kids: $2,500 to be used for 12 economically disadvantaged youth to be mentored in winter and summer outdoor activities.

• Outdoor Heritage: $10,000 scholarships for outdoor education for Alaska youth and women.

• Chugiak Youth Sports Association: $3,143 for 1,500 scholarships to provide year-round five-team sports programs for kids ages 3 to 8.

• Paws for Dignity: $10,000 for a hearing aid dog for a child in our membership area.

• Community Sports: $1,500 offers a program called Night Courts to play basketball from 9 p.m. to midnight at the AT&T Sports Center.

• Mat-Su Youth Court: $2,500 to provide scholarships for local kids to attend youth court classes.

• Talkeetna Build a Plane: $10,000 for completion of a Cherokee 6 built by kids under the guidance of seven certified aircraft mechanics and built to Federal Aviation Administration standards.

• Alaska Live Steamers: $7,000 to help provide privacy fencing around the perimeter of its new location with the expectations of 5,000 tourists in 2012.

• Community Arts Council: $10,000 to provide scholarships for 300 local kids for summer 2012 enabling them to attend music and theatrical classes and camps.

• Radio Free Palmer: $5,000 to complete the installation of equipment for the station’s studio and transmitter resulting in Palmer’s first FM community radio station. The station will also promote and provide live coverage of community events and disaster relief communications.

• Trapper Creek Community Food Bank: $1,500 to fund the food bank, which serves more than 200 people in the Willow, Talkeetna and Trapper Creek areas.

• Individual and family grants have been disbursed totaling $17,243.39 through organizations like Pioneer Christian Fellowship, Christ First United Methodist Church, Fatherless Northwest Widows and Orphans Fund, Love Inc. and Word of Faith Assembly Church. The churches disburse monies under the philosophy of providing a hand up rather than a hand out.

On a regular basis, the charitable board reviews and evaluates each application on its own merit; however, keep in mind the foundation is not able to help with utility bills per regulatory guidelines.

For more information, or to apply for a grant, visit mea.coop. Be sure to submit a W-9 along with the required information from the application.