As of Monday, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative began accepting applications for community grants. The Cooperative encourages nonprofits across PEC’s service area to apply for grants up to $5,000 through Oct. 18. The grants help nonprofits fund projects that help improve communities. Nonprofits that receive these funds can use them to support projects related to technology, capital improvements and energy efficiency.
“Our much-anticipated grants have reopened and we’re looking forward to awarding funds that will help our community flourish for years to come,” said Celeste Mikeska, PEC community relations manager. “Thank you to our members who are already enrolled in Power of Change for rounding up and giving back. For those who haven’t joined, we encourage you to consider this small way to give back because by working together as a Cooperative, we can show our strength and make a significant impact right here at home.”
The grants are made possible by PEC members enrolled in the Cooperative’s Power of Change Program. By joining, members choose to have their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar each month for charity or they can make a one time contribution.
Since the program began in 2016, members have donated more than $825,000 to benefit area nonprofits, as well as PEC’s Employee United Charities, area education foundations, PEC’s Member Assistance Program, PEC’s youth education programs and other deserving projects.
In 2023, Hays County Crime Stoppers received a grant from PEC to expand its EZ Child Identification program. The grant was used to purchase a second system to provide free digital fingerprinting, photos, and video child identification kits to families. The kits work by quickly providing first responders with information about a missing child to enable recovery and reunification.
Sergeant Jeffrey P. Jordan with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said, “Now that we have been able to expand the program, we are looking forward to taking the software and system to the next step, by utilizing them to do the same for persons with dementia or Alzheimer’s. PEC helped us bring this powerful service to our communities to help keep our loved ones safe.”
The average donation for members who join and round-up is less than $6 per year, or 50 cents per month. Learn more about PEC’s Power of Change Program and enroll today at pec. coop/change. To apply for a PEC grant, visit pec.coop/grants.
