EnergyUnited Foundation Makes Donation to Iredell County COVID-19 Response Fund

On Friday, April 24, the EnergyUnited Foundation announced its most recent contribution in the fight against COVID-19: a $10,000 donation to the Iredell County COVID-19 Response Fund.

The county’s COVID-19 Response Fund was established by United Way of Central Carolinas, United Way of Iredell County and the Iredell County Community Foundation, a regional affiliate of Foundation For The Carolinas to help those most in need through support to service-oriented organizations.

“We are very thankful for our partnership with United Way of Iredell County and for all the leaders, volunteers and front-line workers who represent the best of us each day,” said Debra Citta, EnergyUnited Foundation Administrator. “We know that with this donation, we will be able to help many individuals and families who need financial assistance due to COVID-19.”

The initial priority of the Fund is to address the immediate basic human needs of Iredell County residents by deploying resources to trusted organizations that respond to, and are impacted by, the coronavirus outbreak. The Fund will respond to emerging and evolving needs.

The Fund is administered through a partnership among the three organizations. Grants will be awarded by an advisory group of community members and will be open to any agency that meets the eligibility criteria.

Areas of anticipated need include:

Food insecurities, such as home-bound seniors and families with children
Education interruptions, such as children in early Head-Start through postsecondary
Employment reductions, such as reduced hours, layoffs and furlough
Housing vulnerabilities, such as rental assistance and shelters for homeless
Medical access, such as transportation or those in need of home-bound supports

“This grant from the EnergyUnited Foundation will make a huge difference in our county’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United Way of Iredell County Executive Director Brett Eckerman. “We are very thankful for the cooperative’s continued support of our community in times of need.”

The EnergyUnited Foundation is a voluntary, member-funded non-profit organization supported by EnergyUnited’s Operation Round-Up program. Over 70,000 EnergyUnited members choose to participate in the program by ‘rounding up’ their electric bills each month. The maximum monthly contribution for an individual member with one account is 99 cents. Each of these small contributions are pooled together in a single fund managed by the EnergyUnited Foundation to support needy individuals, families, and essential nonprofit organizations that complete an application explaining the reason and purpose for their requested grant.