The Lorraine Howard Educational Center, an alternative school located on the grounds of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston, Louisiana, was one of six area not-for-profit organizations to receive a grant from Claiborne Electric Cooperative’s members through the Operation Round Up program.

The six grants totaled $25,686.83. Operation Round Up is a community service program that gives Claiborne Electric members the option to allow their bills to be rounded up to the next whole dollar. The difference in the actual bill and the rounded amount is deposited into the Operation Round Up Trust Fund. The funds accumulated are dispersed to charitable causes in the communities served by Claiborne Electric.

The program is governed by Claiborne Electric’s Operation Round Up Trust Board, which consists of nine Claiborne Electric members from across the Co-op’s service area. The board receives and reviews applications for the funds, makes decisions about allocation, and disperses the funds accordingly. The Trust Board met Sept. 21 to assign donations.

The Lorraine Howard Educational Center (also called, Howard School) is located on the campus of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston. The school serves children from throughout the state. The organization received a grant in the amount of $9,252.46 to purchase two SMART Boards and two Elmo Teaching Stations. This classroom technology will be used to enhance the curriculum at the Howard School. Director of Education at the educational center, Rick Sutton; teacher, Jennifer Blake; and Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services’ President and CEO, Terrel DeVille, accepted the grant at the educational center on Sept. 27.

The recent grants approved by the Trust Board pushed the organization’s donated total to $382,381.18. The program has been used to award 97 grants to organizations, individuals and families since the first grants were dispersed in Oct. 2007.