Kankakee Valley REMC recently presented The Caring Place of Valparaiso with a $5,810 grant through the Operation Round Up Trust community grant program. This grant will assist the shelter in purchasing 48 beds for the new shelter scheduled to open later this month.
The Caring Place provides services and shelter for victims of violence and their children. In 1978 they became the first domestic violence shelter in Northwest Indiana and currently is the only 24-hour domestic abuse shelter in Porter County. The agency’s services have since expanded beyond solely providing shelter. Working hand-in-hand with thousands of community residents, they are raising awareness about relationship violence through education and support programs. To better serve victims of violence, a new shelter will unify their community and shelter services putting them under one roof.
“The new shelter, which we’ve been calling a ‘center for change’ will be able to hold 48 beds, which is almost twice the size of the old shelter,” noted Mary Beth Schultz, executive director for The Caring Place. “We’re grateful to Kankakee Valley REMC Operation Round Up Trust for helping us create this homelife atmosphere for the survivors who come here.” The new shelter is set to open later this month.
Operation Round Up Trust is a community grant program that is funded by Kankakee Valley REMC member-consumers. Participants voluntarily allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the next dollar. Their donations, which average $6 per year, are combined with those of other member-consumers. A volunteer board of directors awards grants to organizations in the communities served by Kankakee Valley REMC. To date, Operation Round Up Trust has given back over one million dollars to non-profit organizations.
“Operation Round Up Trust gives our member-consumers a way to provide significant support to local agencies like The Caring Place, who work to improve the quality of life in our communities,” noted Amanda Steeb, director of communications and marketing for Kankakee Valley REMC. “We appreciate the work of this agency and its strong commitment to serving the residents of our communities.”
Kankakee Valley REMC, located in Wanatah, IN, is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving approximately 18,000 members throughout Starke, Pulaski, Porter, Lake, Marshall, St. Joseph and LaPorte Counties. For more information, visit www.kvremc.com.
