Foundation year in review

In 2022, the South Central Power Company Foundation donated nearly $632,000 — including $97,000 in scholarships — to make a difference in our communities. With those donations, the foundation assisted 113 community groups or individuals with grants. The funds from the grants and scholarships come from the generous donations of members who choose to “round up” their bills to the next dollar.

Grants are made annually to first responders, human services organizations, youth programs, arts and culture, and more. Here’s a look at three grants from 2022.

A $4,000 grant helped the Gifts for Angels non-profit purchase materials to make homemade items for needy and premature babies. The organization distributes homemade items like hats, booties, sleep sacks, blankets, and memorial items to multiple sites in central and southern Ohio.

In Harrison County, the Freeport Volunteer Fire Department and community members are safer thanks to the purchase of a generator partially funded by a $7,000 grant from the foundation. The station now will be able to serve as a warming/cooling station for those in need during power outages.

The roof of the Leesburg Area Historical Society’s 1899 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Depot was rapidly deteriorating, and it has been replaced thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from the foundation. The Highland County building will be brought back into service as a local history museum and gathering place for the community.

Year in review

From its inception through the end of 2022, the foundation has provided more than $4.7 million in grants and scholarships to nonprofits, individuals, and students in our communities.