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WORKS Program

Wayne-White Operation Roundup Kare & Share program

These nickels, dimes, and quarters can go a long way towards helping people and organizations in need.

  • WORKS is an acronym for the Wayne-White Operation Roundup Kare and Share program
  • It is a charitable foundation established by the Board of Directors of Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative to give their membership an opportunity to “pool their resources” for charitable purposes

WORKS Contributions

  • It is funded each month by cooperative members who agree to “round up” their electric bills to the highest dollar
  • The difference between their bill and the rounded up amount is contributed to the WORKS foundation (For example, if your electric bill is $63.47, it would be rounded up to $64, with $.53 cents being contributed directly to the WORKS foundation.)
  • Each person who contributes by “rounding” up their electric bill will not contribute more than $11.88 per calendar year (The maximum would be .99 cents x 12 months, but is almost always going to be around $6 a year or less from your round-up change.)
  • The WORKS Board members review grant applications and determine where the funds will be expended
Who is eligible to apply for a Grant?
  • Grants are available for both individuals in need and for 501(c)3 organizations.
  • The purpose of the WORKS program is to meet a critical need that is currently not being met by any other means.
  • Recipients must live within the 11-county Wayne-White Electric coverage area of southeastern Illinois, and they must be able to document consistant, uninterrupted residency at their address for at least 12 months (full year).
  • Applicants do not have to receive electricity from Wayne-White Electric Cooperative, but they must live within the Geographic area. (For example, residents of Carmi, McLeansboro, Fairfield, Albion and Cisne are eligible to apply, even though we do not supply power to the broad city limits of those communities)
How does a person or organization apply for a grant?
  • Grant applications are available from any WORKS board member or from Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative office. You can also download and print out and application.
  • When an application is completed and returned to Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative, it is copied and emailed to each board member for review.
  • Following review of the applications, the board will determine what grants will be approved for payment and in what amount.
  • For grants approved by the board, a check will be issued to the recipient within 1 week of approval by the board.
What are some examples of needs the board will be considering?

Some examples of grants made through other Cooperative Roundup Programs across the nation are:

  • Medical equipment
  • Ramps
  • People whose homes have burned or been destroyed by a tornado
  • Equipment for fire departments
  • Senior citizen center services
  • Equipment for rescue squads
  • Meals on wheels
  • Hospitals
  • Youth programs
  • Educational scholarships
  • Wheelchair lifts for vans
  • Medical hardship

Funds cannot be used to pay Wayne-White electric bills.

Applications

The WORKS Board of Directors

  • The foundation is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors that is separate from the Wayne-White Board of Directors
  • The WORKS Board of Directors is divided into districts very similar to Wayne-White board districts

Board Members

Joyce Carson

President

District 1

Vince Mitchell

Vice President

District 5

Steve Ward

Treasurer

District 4

Joe Gabbard

Secretary

District 2

Other Members of the Board of Directors

Donna Williams

District 3

Donald Winkleman

District 6

Marvin L. Walker

District 7

Vince Mitchell

District 5

Sharon White

District 8

Merna Youngblood

District 9

Lisa Vaughan

Cooperative Coordinator from Wayne-White

Year-End Report for 2023

  • Total Contributions in 2023: $53,869.39 (Income/Contributions in 2023)
  • Total Grants Paid Out in 2023: $66,053.82

Total Program Summary To Date

It is amazing what the spare change from our members has added up to in order to help some needy people in our area. Thanks to the generosity of Wayne-White Cooperative members, there were multiple individuals or families in need that received financial grants during the past recent year.

This reflects the totals for the program since the inception in April 2002 through December of 2023:

  • Total Income: $1,071,614.34
  • Grants Distributed and Expenses: $1,069,905.57

If you are not currently participating in the WORKS program at Wayne-White, why not begin today? Your spare change can make an important difference in the lives of many people who need your help. To sign-up for Operation Round-Up Kare & Share, call the cooperative office at (618) 842-2196. Your thoughtfulness and generosity is greatly appreciated!