Nonprofits throughout eastern Kansas that serve community members in need will soon receive a total of more than $50,000 in contributions from Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative members through Heartland’s Operation Round Up program.
“It’s always impressive to see what a difference our members can make by contributing just a little bit of change every month,” said Mark Scheibe, Heartland CEO. “We continue to be proud of our board and our members for helping the neediest in their communities through this program.”
Through Operation Round Up, participating Heartland members’ electric bills are rounded up to the next dollar each month. The additional amount is collected and pooled into a fund for distribution to charitable organizations that provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, and other direct services for those in need.
Funds collected through the Operation Round Up program are administered by a panel of volunteer trustees selected by the Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative Board of Directors from throughout Heartland’s 12-county service area.
Applications were accepted in October and November and were reviewed by the Operation Round Up Board of Trustees at its annual meeting on December 1.
Grant recipients for 2026 are listed below in alphabetical order. Each will receive between $800 and $2,400 in January, with a total of $50,400 distributed.
- Alliance of Churches for Christian Living – Chanute
- Beacon Food Pantry – Fort Scott
- Care to Share Cancer Support Group – Fort Scott
- Church of Christ Fontana – Heavenly Hotdogs Food Pantry – Fontana
- Columbus Christian Center – Manna Depot – Columbus
- Community Food Pantry – Girard
- Concern, Inc. – Mound City
- Elsmore United Methodist Church – Elsmore
- Erie Area Community Christmas Basket Fund – Erie
- Erie Federated Church – Erie
- First Assembly of God Baxter Springs – Hope Chest – Baxter Springs
- First Baptist Church – Cherokee
- First Baptist Church of Pleasanton – Pleasanton
- First Baptist Church of Riverton – Riverton
- First Christian Church – God’s Pantry – Chanute
- First Presbyterian Church of Iola – Iola
- First United Methodist Church – Columbus
- Friends of Library District #2 of Linn Co – La Cygne
- Galesburg Christian Church – Orange Swan Free Store – Galesburg
- Hope Chapel – Moran
- Humanity House – Iola
- Humboldt Ministerial Alliance – Humboldt Community Food Pantry – Humboldt
- Mound City Christian Church – Christian Women’s Service – Mound City
- Mound City United Methodist Church – Mound City
- Parker United Methodist Church – Helping Hands & Hearts – Parker
- Pitt Chapel Church of God – Pittsburg
- Prescott United Methodist Church – Reach Out Food Pantry – Prescott
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church – Mound City
- Second Chances – Blue Mound
- Michael Catholic Church – A Meal In His Name – Girard
- United Methodist Church – La Cygne Food Pantry – La Cygne
- United Women in Faith – Pleasanton
- Wings of Warriors – Gas
- Yates Center United Methodist Church – Bowls of Plenty – Yates Center
Current Operation Round Up trustees include Tom Bradbury of Uniontown, Rev. Daniel Davis of Iola, Carol Houston of Prescott, Nancy Hurd of Columbus, Kelly Perry of Bronson, Sue Stainbrook of Fontana, Mark Taylor of Girard, and Sharon Young of Erie.
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas manages Operation Round Up contributions and disburses funds on behalf of Heartland.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.
Heartland REC is a non-profit, member-owned cooperative that traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company in Iola, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association in Mound City, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in Girard. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland