NOVEC Asks Customers to Help Needy Stay Warm

The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative is asking its customer-owners and other community members to help local, low-income families heat their homes this winter by donating money to NOVEC’s Operation Round Up® (ORU) fund.

 “We’ve had three years now of high national unemployment and the 2010 Census tells us one in six Americans is living in poverty. Although four of the counties NOVEC serves are among the 10 richest counties in the nation, the need for heating assistance in our area is growing," Donna Snellings, NOVEC’s public relations and community liaison, said.  "We’re asking our customers and community members who have jobs to participate in ORU to help everyone stay warm this winter.”

After receiving donations, the ORU board, composed of NOVEC customer-owners, sends donations to the following six organizations:

• The Salvation Army in Loudoun County
• The Salvation Army in Fairfax County
• Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) in Prince William County
• SERVE, a program of Northern Virginia Family Service in Prince William County
• SERVE, Inc. in Stafford County
• Fauquier Family Shelter Services in Fauquier County

These organizations distribute the funds to low-income people who need help paying their heating bills.

About $600,000 has been contributed to the cause since the program’s inception in 1997. Because NOVEC absorbs all administration costs, 100 percent of all donations go into the fund.

Participate in the Operation Round Up by authorizing NOVEC to round up the monthly electric bill to the next dollar. For example, if a bill is $69.54, NOVEC will round it up to $70 and put the extra .46 into the ORU fund. Customers who participate donate an average of $6 each year.

NOVEC customers can join ORU online at novec.com/oru12 under “Community,” or by calling the customer service center, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 703-335-0500 or toll-free: 1-888-335-0500.

Customers who sign up to participate by Dec. 2, will be entered into a drawing for one of 10, $25 Visa gift cards.

Supporters can also send checks payable to NOVEC Operation Round Up to NOVEC, P.O. Box 2710, Manassas, VA 20108.

NOVEC, headquartered in Manassas, is a not-for-profit corporation that distributes electricity and energy services to more than 146,000 customers in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford and Clarke counties as well as the City of Manassas Park. It is one of the largest electric distribution cooperatives in the nation. For more information, visit novec.com.