SVECares: Small Change Changes Lives
The change donated from rounding up your monthly electric bill goes to help cancer patients in our communities, volunteer fire departments, food banks and many more. Thanks to your generosity, since 2000, over $2.9 million has been given back to our communities.
Twenty years ago, SVEC began the process of bringing a “round-up” program, SVECares, to our service area. Today, the very successful program allows SVEC members to donate the “change” between their actual SVEC monthly bills and the “rounded-up” amounts – an average of 50 cents per month from each member – to a fund that is used to improve the quality of life in our service area. Over nearly 20 years since the program became a reality, SVEC members have changed thousands of lives a few cents at a time, providing opportunities, empowering community organizations and giving hope to those in need.
To view how the “small change” is distributed, go to the Reports section at the bottom of this page.
The funds from SVECares are not used for political purposes or to pay electric or other utility bills.
Photo, above: SVEC's Joan Davis (center) and Christy Lawrence (right) receive a plaque from the Jasper Fire Department, in appreciation of a recent SVECares donation to the group.
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Simply put, SVECares gathers voluntary contributions from co-op members by rounding up their monthly electric bill to the next highest dollar. For example: if your bill is $48.63, SVEC would round it up to $49.00. The additional 37 cents would go to the SVECares fund.
Monthly contributions per member average 50 cents, for a yearly average donation of $6 per members. It’s small change but if all SVEC members join, we could “round up” about $180,000 a year to help our neighbors in need.
SVECares may be used for local projects such as fire fighting equipment for volunteer fire departments; life-saving equipment for ambulance or rescue squads; hospice programs; youth programs; food shelves; clothing, shelter and medical services following an accident or storm; and all types of individual needs. All of the funds go directly back into our communities. Donations are not limited to these categories. SVECares funds may not be used for political purposes or to pay electric or gas bills.
Five community residents—all members of the co-op — have been appointed to the SVECares board by the SVEC board of directors to:
• Evaluate requests for SVECares
• Determine how the money will be used
Citizens appointed to the SVECares board have a strong concern for their community and possess a desire to see that help is provided where it will do the most good. SVECares board members volunteer their time and receive no pay or compensation for serving on the board.
SVEC members can opt out of the voluntary SVECares program at any time. Just enclose a note in your electric bill, call your local service center for assistance or submit this form to opt out.
| ORGANIZATION | AMOUNT |
| American Legion Post #190, Dunlap | $ 2,000.00 |
| Beersheba Springs Free Medical Clinic | $ 4,999.00 |
| Bledsoe County Cancer Care Team | $ 3,000.00 |
| Bledsoe County Community Food Bank | $ 4,500.00 |
| Bledsoe Sheriff’s Dept. Christmas Boxes | $ 500.00 |
| Bledsoe County Family Resource Center | $ 1,000.00 |
| Blue Monarch Residential Recovery Program | $ 2,000.00 |
| Champion Commons Mentoring & Recovery | $ 1,400.00 |
| Christmas for Kids - Dunlap | $ 500.00 |
| Coalmont Community Center | $ 1,500.00 |
| Court Appointed Special Advocate Program | $ 1,500.00 |
| Down Syndrome Society - Buddy Walk | $ 500.00 |
| Dependable Laundry (Exceptional Enterprises) | $ 604.00 |
| Dunlap Fire Department - 2019 & 2020 funds | $ 700.00 |
| First Southern Baptist Church Food Bank * | $ 1,000.00 |
| Franklin Co. Prevention Coalition/Grundy Co. | $ 375.00 |
| Grundy County Food Bank * | $ 1,000.00 |
| Grundy County Food Bank | $ 4,500.00 |
| Jasper Fire Department | $ 1,099.99 |
| Jasper Highlands Volunteer Fire Dept. | $ 503.00 |
| Lee Station Baptist House of Hope * | $ 1,000.00 |
| Marion County - Back-to-school event | $ 1,500.00 |
| Marion County Chamber of Commerce* | $ 1,500.00 |
| Marion County Food Bank | $ 4,500.00 |
| Morton Memorial UMC Food Bank* | $ 1,000.00 |
| Mountain T.O.P. -Low Income Home Repairs | $ 2,500.00 |
| Multi-County Cancer Support Network | $ 4,950.00 |
| Omni Outreach - TVA COVID match* | $ 500.00 |
| Pikeville Volunteer Fire Department | $ 2,500.00 |
| Relative Caregiver Program | $ 1,500.00 |
| Rigsby Volunteer Fire Department | $ 2,000.00 |
| Seq. Co. Fellowship of Churches Food Bank* | $ 1,000.00 |
| Seq. Co. Fellowship of Churches Food Bank | $ 4,500.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Cancer Support Network | $ 3,000.00 |
| Sequatchie County Fair | $ 1,400.00 |
| Seq. Valley Community Ministries* | $ 2,500.00 |
| Seq. Valley Community Ministries | $ 1,600.00 |
| Sequatchie Volunteer Fire Department | $ 2,470.00 |
| SMILES - Free Dental Clinic | $ 2,500.00 |
| South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Dept. | $ 1,750.00 |
| Southend Volunteer Fire Dept. | $ 2,250.00 |
| * Donated as matching funds for TVA’s COVID-19 Relief fund. | |
| Total grants to organizations | $79,600.99 |
| Total grants to families/individuals | $97,570.80 |
| Grand total | $ 177,171,79.00 |
|
ORGANIZATION |
AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| 12th Judicial Children's Advocacy Center | $2500.00 |
| American Legion Post 62 | 1500.00 |
| American Legion Post 74 | 1500.00 |
| Beersheba Springs Comm. Cnt. | 1000.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Community Food Bank | 4500.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Fair | 1400.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Honor Guard | 2000.00 |
| CDSS Down Syndrome Society | 500.00 |
| Christmas for Kids | 500.00 |
| Dependable Laundry (Exceptional Enterprises) | 1000.00 |
| Fall Creek Falls Kids Fishing Derby | 200.00 |
| Grundy, Seq., Bledsoe Back to School Events (for 2018) | 3067.56 |
| Grundy Co. Food Bank | 4500.00 |
| Jasper Fire Dept. | 1265.00 |
| Jasper Highlands Volunteer Fire Dept. | 400.00 |
| Leadership Grundy | 500.00 |
| Lusk Community Center | 485.15 |
| Marion Co. Alzheimer's Association | 1000.00 |
| Marion Co. Food Bank | 4500.00 |
| Dunlap Fire Dept. | 350.00 |
| Next Step Resource Center | 1000.00 |
| Nine Mile Volunteer Fire Dept. | 2000.00 |
| Orme Volunteer Fire Dpt. | 1740.00 |
| Pikeville Volunteer Fire Dept. | 1500.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Cancer Support Network | 3000.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Food Bank | 4500.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Senior Center | 700.00 |
| Marion Co. Back to School Event (2019) | 1000.00 |
| Sequatchie Valley Community Ministries | 900.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Back to School Events (2019) | 1000.00 |
| Grundy Co. Back to School Events (2019) | 1000.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Back to School Events (2019) | 1000.00 |
| South End Volunteer Fire Dept. | 1800.00 |
| Tracy City Ballpark | 1000.00 |
| Tracy City Volunteer Fire & Rescue | 2000.00 |
| UT Extension - Grundy County 4H | 1000.00 |
| TOTAL GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS | $57,807.71 |
| TOTAL GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES | $95,887.33 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $153,695.04 |
| ORGANIZATION | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Down Syndrome Society | $1000.00 |
| Next Step Resource Center | 800.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Senior Center | 999.00 |
| American Legion Post 74 | 1500.00 |
| STARS (Skills Training & Resource Svcs.) Inc. | 2000.00 |
| Marion Co. Alzheimer's Assoc. | 1500.00 |
| American Red Cross | 2000.00 |
| Marion Co. Culinary Arts Team | 1000.00 |
| Multi-County Cancer Network | 4950.00 |
| Special Olympics | 3500.00 |
| Tracy City Fire/Rescue | 2000.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Community Food Bank | 2500.00 |
| Marion Co. Food Bank | 2500.00 |
| Sequatchie Co. Food Bank | 2500.00 |
| Grundy Co. Food Bank | 2500.00 |
| Orme Volunteer Fire Dept. | 600.00 |
| Bledsoe Co. Veterans Park | 1000.00 |
| Griffith Creek Volunteer Fire Dept | 1500.00 |
| Sequatchie Valley Comm. Kitchen | 2000.00 |
| Toys for Tots - Bledsoe Co. | 500.00 |
| Christmas for Kids in the Park | 500.00 |
| Lusk Volunteer Fire Dept. | 2000.00 |
| Dunlap Senior Center | 200.00 |
| American Legion Post 66 | 1000.00 |
| Whitwell Senior Center | 359.90 |
| Tracy City Public Library | 390.49 |
| Marion Co. Imagination Library | 750.00 |
| Sequatchie Volunteer Fire Dept. | 1000.00 |
| Pelham Valley Volunteer Fire Dept. | 2000.00 |
| Marion Co. Rescue Squad | 2000.00 |
| Sequatchie Valley Historical Assoc. | 500.00 |
| South Pittsburg Volunteer Fire Dept. | 350.00 |
| Lusk Community Center | 514.85 |
| SMILES Free Dental Clinic | 2500.00 |
| Fall Creek Falls Fishing Derby | 200.00 |
| Grundy Co. Historical Society | 500.00 |
| Marion Co. Back to School Event | 1000.00 |
| Total Grants to Organizations | $52,614.24 |
| Total Grants to families/individuals | $106,627.96 |
| Grand Total | $159,242.20 |
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