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Tag: grant

Community Fund Grant Delivers New Cooler to Operation Hand Up Pantry

Written by Brooke Porter on . Posted in UDWI News. No Comments on Community Fund Grant Delivers New Cooler to Operation Hand Up Pantry

Cold storage expands for Lighthouse Fellowship Church’s Operation Hand Up food pantry with purchase of a new cooler, made possible by a grant from the Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC Community Fund. Located in Gosport, the pantry serves roughly 100 families every week. 

“Looking back at how we started — operating out of a supply closet — it’s a blessing to see how much the pantry has grown through the generosity of the community, our staff, and volunteers,” said Angie Devore, Executive Assistant and Treasurer for the Lighthouse Fellowship Church. 

Since its founding in 1978, the Operation Hand Up pantry at Lighthouse Fellowship Church has provided supplemental food/meals to those in the area. Although the operation started small, it quickly grew from a closet to a classroom and kept growing until it took over the fellowship hall. In 2010, the church built a designated building for the pantry. The food pantry building is open every Thursday, except on holidays. 

In addition to its regular activities, Operation Hand Up participates in special community initiatives, such as giving food to the “backpack buddy” program, the local fire station and to other local pantries. 

“We thank UDWI members for donating to the Community Fund and to the Community Fund Board for choosing our ‘Operation Hand Up’ as the recipient of this grant. It truly allows us to continue our mission of supporting families in the community,” said Devore.

With the $2,500 grant, the pantry replaced two old refrigerators with a large cooler. This expands the amount of cold products carried and distributed to families. 

If you are interested in stocking, distributing, or otherwise helping at Operation Hand Up, Lighthouse Fellowship Church welcomes all to give back to the community and inquire about volunteering. Stop by 5392 IN-67, Gosport, IN 47433 or visit www.lfc.life to learn more. 

The full list of recent recipients of an UDWI REMC Community Fund grant are: A.M. Risher Pool Revitalization Project, Inc.; C2C; Greene County Drug Task Force; Greene County General Hospital Foundation, Inc.; Greene County Soccer Association; Loaves and Fishes Food Program; Operation Hand Up; Pregnancy Choices; RoboBoosters, Inc.; St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry; White River Youth Foundation; Worthington Community Improvement Committee; and Yielding Health Wisdom and Halcyon.

To donate to the Community Fund, UDWI REMC members can participate in the RoundUp Program, which allows cooperative members to round up to the nearest whole dollar on their electric bills. The money accumulated is awarded to various nonprofit organizations— determined by the UDWI REMC Community Fund Board (separate from UDWI REMC staff and Board of Directors).

The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. is now accepting applications for its next grant cycle. All nonprofit businesses in UDWI REMC’s service area are encouraged to apply. Please visit www.udwiremc.com to learn more about the program and to start an application.

UDWI REMC Community Fund Grant Helps Teachers Warehouse Purchase $2,000 in School Supplies for Educators

Written by Brooke Porter on . Posted in UDWI News. No Comments on UDWI REMC Community Fund Grant Helps Teachers Warehouse Purchase $2,000 in School Supplies for Educators

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (April 17, 2025)— Teachers Warehouse (TW), a nonprofit organization serving public school educators, recently purchased $2,000 in school supplies for Greene County teachers. This was made possible with the help of the UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. grant, which was awarded to the organization this past quarter. 

Teachers Warehouse was founded in 2004 with the mission to serve the educational needs of children in public schools by providing their teachers with materials that will make classroom lessons and school activities more interesting and effective. Although the organization started as a simple Bloomington Rotary Club project, aiming to provide free school supplies to teachers in Monroe County, it has since expanded to serve five counties— Monroe, Brown, Greene, Owen and Lawrence— as well as the Martinsville City Public School District. 

“We want the community to recognize Teachers Warehouse as a valuable partner in promoting children’s success in school,” said Anne Bright, a Board Member for TW. She continued, commenting “Receiving monetary donations, such as what we received from UDWI, helps us get necessary school supplies into the hands of teachers and students, allowing students to be more engaged and high-achieving.” 

As reported by the National Education Association, teachers spend hundreds of dollars every year on school supplies for their students out of their own pockets. According to Teachers Warehouse, their organization can cut these costs for educators, providing an estimated up to $300 worth of materials at no cost to teachers. These materials are varied and plentiful— from traditional school supplies to art and craft items, STEM equipment and even classroom furniture. 

This school year, Teachers Warehouse has seen 1,101 educators make 2,402 shopping visits, receiving materials valued at $320,699 (data calculated by TW through April 11). 

“Because we are an all-volunteer organization, we are always looking for community members willing to help out,” shared Anne Bright, when asked about opportunities to get involved with the organization. She went on to say, “We have multiple volunteering opportunities all the way from sorting, packaging, and stocking our shelves to picking up or delivering large donations from businesses. We encourage community members to visit us during regular hours for a tour and call our office staff to discuss volunteering.” 

Teachers Warehouse is located at 524 N Fairview St, Bloomington, IN 47404 in a former alternative school building. Their business hours run from Monday through Thursday from 3:30 – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.. Outside of volunteer activities, Teachers Warehouse will also be holding a supply drive on Saturday, July 12, at the Kroger stores in Bloomington and at a Walmart location in Bedford. 

“Getting involved with an organization like Teachers Warehouse, that is dedicated to serving educators and students, is so inspiring,” commented Doug Childs, CEO of UDWI REMC. He went on to say, “By awarding them the Community Fund grant, we hope to further their mission of supporting those in our members’ communities.” 

The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. allows cooperative members to give back to their communities by rounding up to the nearest whole dollar on their electric bills. The money accumulated is poured right back into local communities by awarding grants to various organizations. 

The latest round of UDWI REMC Community Fund grant recipients included: Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation, Bloomfield Elementary PTO, Eastern Greene Fire Territory, Franklin Township Community Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., God’s Hands In Action, Healthy Hearts WRV, Lawrence County Cancer Patient Services, Linton-Stockton School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Shakamak, Teachers Warehouse, Inc., and Valley Mission Church of the Nazarene. 

To learn more about Teachers Warehouse, including how to volunteer, donate, and support your local county school districts, visit www.teacherswarehouse.org, call 812-812-929-7522, or follow them on Facebook. The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. is now accepting applications for its next grant cycle. All nonprofit businesses in UDWI REMC’s service area are encouraged to apply.