• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

  • Rural Internet
    • Service Area
  • View / Pay Bill
    • Quick Pay
    • Register
    • Forgot Password?
  • Outages
    • Outage Map
    • Outage Center
      • PowerTouch
      • Outage Texting
      • Mobile App
    • Storm Center
      • Storm Preparation
        • Hurricane Readiness
        • Generator Safety
      • After the Storm
      • Submit Photos
    • Restoring Power
  • Member Services
    • Contact Us
    • Forms & Publications
    • Office Locations
    • Report an Outage
    • Report an Outdoor Light Outage
    • Update Account Information
    • Report Energy Theft/Tampering
    • Safety Demonstration Request
    • Media Contacts
    • FAQ
  • More results...

    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
    Search in posts
    Search in pages
Skip NavigationMenu
  • My Service
    • Close
    • New Members
      • Start Residential Electric Service
      • Welcome to YEC
    • Billing
    • Meter Locations
    • Peak Demand
    • Outdoor Lighting
      • Outdoor Lighting Info Request
      • Report Outdoor Lighting Outage
    • Underground Service
    • Forms & Publications
    • My Business
      • Start Residential Electric Service
    • Close
  • My Community
    • Close
    • Scholarships & Events
    • Bright Ideas Grant
    • Learn with YEC
      • Learn With Art
        • Co-op Magnet Design Challenge
        • Gear up for Safety Coloring Contest
      • Safety Videos
      • Soft Skills
      • Energy Glossary
    • Safety Demonstration Request
    • Operation Round Up®
      • Operation Round Up Application
      • Disposition Statement
    • The Burrell Foundation
    • Economic Development
      • Affiliations
      • East York Industrial Park
    • South Carolina Living
    • Submit Photos
    • Co-op Connections®
      • All Discounts
      • Co-op Connections for Businesses
        • Business Contract & Application
    • Close
  • My Cooperative
    • Close
    • Annual Meeting
    • Support Your Co-op
    • Contact Us
      • Report an Outage
      • Report an Outdoor Light Outage
      • Outdoor Lighting Info Request
      • Report Energy Theft/Tampering
      • Media Contacts
    • Office Locations & Contacts
    • Service Area
    • Member Survey
    • Capital Credits
      • Unclaimed Checks Searchable Database
    • Leadership Team
      • Board of Trustees
      • Board Meetings
    • Careers
      • Employment Application
      • Statement of Nondiscrimination
    • Meeting Room Facility
    • History
      • 75th Anniversary 2016
      • What is a Co-op
    • Rules & Regulations
      • Bylaws
    • South Carolina Living
    • Close
  • Energy Services
    • Close
    • Electric Vehicles
      • Choose EV
      • Electric Vehicle Survey
    • Smart Thermostat Program
      • Smart Thermostat Offer
      • Enroll a Smart Thermostat
    • Solar
      • What is Solar?
      • Rooftop Solar
      • Community Solar Farm
        • Solar Farm FAQ
      • Solar Advisory Program
        • Solar Interest Form
        • Solar Interconnect Application
    • Energy Efficiency
      • 101 Energy Tips
      • Spring & Summer
      • Fall & Winter
      • Energy Calculators
      • Energy Smart SC
      • Home Energy Saver Adventure
      • Shop Smart Solutions
      • Together We Save
      • How-To Videos
      • EnergyWorks Home Tour
      • Appliances & Insulation
    • Green Power
      • Green Power Sign Up
    • Dual Fuel Heat Pump Rebate
    • Energy Audits
    • Federal Tax Credits
    • Agricultural Energy Audit
    • Generator Program
      • Generator Program Application
    • Energy Standards
    • Close
  • Safety
    • Close
    • Learning with YEC Safety Videos
    • Safety Demonstrations
      • Safety Demonstration Request
    • Indoor Safety
    • Outdoor Safety
    • Generator Safety
    • Overloads
    • Shock Hazards
    • Outlets
    • Water Danger
    • Overhead Lines
    • Energy Glossary
    • SafeElectricity.org
    • Close
  • Reliability
    • Close
    • Right of Way Maintenance
      • Schedule
      • Trade a Tree
    • Close
  • News
    • Close
    • COVID-19 Information
    • YEC News
    • e-News
    • South Carolina Living
    • Media Contacts
    • Close
  • COVID-19 Resources
    • Close
    • Stay Plus
      • SC Stay Plus FAQ
    • Close
You are here: Home / News & Announcements / Member donations reach $2-million milestone

November 3, 2014

Member donations reach $2-million milestone

Operation Round Up by the NumbersSince York Electric introduced Operation Round Up in 2000, participating members have contributed $2 million for local charities in York, Chester, Lancaster and Cherokee counties.

By allowing YEC to round up their bills to the next dollar, their average monthly contribution is only about 50 cents. But, multiplied by the power of cooperation, their small change makes a big difference for organizations like the York County Cancer Association, the Clover Area Assistance Center and the Fort Mill Care Center.

A crucial difference

Created in 1959 by the late Judy Bledsoe, the York County Cancer Association currently serves 19 uninsured and underinsured clients—all county residents—with 156 client services. Those include cancer medications, supplies such as ostomy and mastectomy products, nutrition, and transportation costs for doctor and treatment appointments.

Bob and Betty Loftin
Retirees Bob and Betty Loftin operate the York County Cancer Association out of their garage in Tega Cay, holding the line on expenses. A whopping 95 percent of the association’s budget goes to client services. Photo: Walter Allread

The Operation Round Up Trust Board, which administers member donations, granted the association $8,500 for this fiscal year, says Betty Loftin, association president. It came at a crucial time, says her husband, Bob, the non-profit’s treasurer. The association received no United Way support this year due to a fund-raising shortfall.

The Operation Round Up grant will allow the association to serve clients through next June. “We were ecstatic,” Betty says. “When [the co-op] called that morning to tell me, I couldn’t help it, I cried.”

No wonder. Without the association’s help, some cancer-stricken clients often face tough choices, Bob notes: “It can be between paying for food or paying for medications.”

Crisis prevention

Karen van Vierssen and David Hill
Executive Director Karen van Vierssen at the Clover Area Assistance Center, where clients “shop” for food, accompanied by food bank volunteers. Stocking the shelves is part-time employee David Hill.

Executive Director Karen van Vierssen says the Clover Area Assistance Center often helps people who have never had to ask for aid. “It’s usually a crisis prevention situation,” she says. “If you are living from paycheck to paycheck, all it takes is one incident—a car breaks down and that’s how you get to work. They have to decide between the repair or a utility bill or food. We are able to reduce the worry and prevent a worse issue.”

Relying mostly on local support such as Operation Round Up’s, the center carefully screens applicants. “We have a real obligation as stewards of the money to make sure it goes where it’s needed,” she says. Proving their situation empowers clients to move toward self-sufficiency, van Vierssen says, “That’s what we’re about: Empowering people to become more self-sufficient and less dependent.”

‘The perks’ of helping

Ft. Mill Volunteers
Just a few of Fort Mill Care Center’s volunteers, including (from left) President Eileen Misek, Jan Habermeyer, Kathy Hess, Glenda Mize and Peggy Hall.

For years, Operation Round Up aid has helped the Fort Mill Care Center provide emergency food, utility assistance, emergency dental care and other services. In 2013, for instance, the center gave $246,452.70 worth of food to 2,831 families.

President Eileen Misek shares thank-you’s from grateful clients who just needed a hand up, not a handout. One wrote, “Success is the fruit of personal effort plus support and encouragement from someone like you.” Said another: “A super hug for all you do all the time to take care of ‘the least of these,’ those who need it most in our community.

The center’s volunteers, who contribute more than 3,000 hours a year, are inspired by messages like these, Misek says: “That’s what you call the perks!”

To enjoy the perks of knowing your small change will make a big difference locally, call (803) 684-4248 to sign up for Operation Round Up.

{wpdm_category=operation-round-up}

Operation Round Up FAQ

a

Exactly what is this Operation Round Up and more importantly will I recoup the amount that was rounded up?

Operation Round Up is a voluntary contribution on your electric bill which adds a few pennies each month. The most you could ever donate in a year would be $12, but most members’ donations are around $6 per year. These pennies are added together from all our participating members, and York Electric’s Trust Board makes grants to non-profit agencies who are serving needs in our community. Since 2000, York Electric’s members have raised approximately $2.3 million, and we now have 62% member participation.

Category: Operation Round Up FAQ
a

What do I do if I need help?

Contact local Help agencies. Download the Agency Help list PDF here

Category: Operation Round Up FAQ
a

How can I help?

We make it easy. Sign up by calling our member services department at 803-684-4248, and we’ll simply round your electric bill up to the next highest dollar each month. The extra change – an average of only 50 cents a month or $6 a year – is your contribution to the program. If you wish to discontinue your contributions at any time, simply contact YEC.

Category: Operation Round Up FAQ
a

Are my contributions tax deductible?

Contributions to Operation Round Up are tax deductible. In January and February, your utility bill will have a summary of the contributions you made to Operation Round Up during the previous year.

Category: Operation Round Up FAQ
a

How do I find out to whom the funds were distributed?

After each quarterly meeting, our website is updated with the current disposition statement. Also, we periodically publish updates about Operation Round Up in South Carolina Living magazine.

Category: Operation Round Up FAQ
Related Topics:
Operation Round Up
Operation Round Up Disposition Statement

Recent News

  • Santee Cooper class action lawsuit settlement funds to be distributed
  • Here comes the sun
  • An added benefit for members: New location for Annual Meeting

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Member Resources

Online Account Access
Update Account Information
Download YEC Mobile App
Frequently Asked Questions
Billing & Payment Options
Residential Rates
View Outage Map
Forms & Downloads
Tips for lowering your electric bill
Safety & Preparedness

About YEC

Your Cooperative
News & Events
Career Opportunities
Community & Education
Service Area
History
Board of Directors
Trees and Rights of Way
How we restore power
Economic Development

Contact Us

Our Locations
Member Feedback
Report Outdoor Light Outage
Report Electricity Theft
Media Contacts
Member Services: (803) 684-4248
Report an Outage: (866) 374-1234
Outage Texting: 352667
Email

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Get YEC's free app at the Google Play site Get YEC's free iOS app at the Apple App Store

© 2023 York Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | HIPAA | Bylaws | Accessibility Statement | Sitemap

Contact | 1385 Alexander Love Hwy, York, SC 29745 | Main: (803) 684-4248 | Report Outage: (866) 374-1234 or text: 352667 (prior registration required)

Site by Cooperative Inc.

[ Placeholder content for popup link ] WordPress Download Manager - Best Download Management Plugin