MONROE, Ga. – For six years, Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has made a significant impact on the students in its local service area by using unclaimed money.

The cooperative’s School EmPOWERment Grant program gives schools in nearby communities the chance to boost their instructional and service programs by funding worthwhile projects. Many of the projects are those that local systems don’t have funds for in regular operating budgets.

The money that Walton EMC distributes – over $2 million since the program began just six short years ago – doesn’t affect customer-owners’ power bills, either. That’s because the funds are unclaimed monies from former customers whom the co-op can’t find.

After Walton EMC publishes lists of these customers in their newsletter and on their website, places legal ads and exhausts all attempts to find the owners, Georgia law allows the money to be used for community benefit.

“After providing reliable and reasonably-priced electric power, serving our community is next on the list,” said COO Ron Marshall. “Our School EmPOWERment Grant program is a perfect example of the cooperative principle ‘Concern for community.’”

2021-22 Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grants Fast Facts
Total distribution: $368,212
Average grant: $5,336
Number of grants: 69
Schools receiving grants: 63
Total since beginning of program: $2,060,087
Source of money: unclaimed refunds

This year’s grants by county are:

Barrow County

• Arts and Innovation Magnet Program – $2,622, Kristin Fuqua, Aeroponics in the Classroom
• Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy – $1,002, Dr. Cheryl Guy, Hearing and Vision Screening Kit

Clarke County

• Whit Davis Elementary – $7,150, Lauren Knowlton, Book Vending Machine

Gwinnett County

• Anderson-Livesay Elementary – $7,604, Lorna Baldwin, LEGOs in a STEM World
• Annistown Elementary – $2,460, LaToya Burse, Lettuce Grow Our Garden
• Britt Elementary – $5,490, Nancy Falocco, STEM Explosion
• Centerville Elementary – $6,075, Bonita Banks, Book Vending Machine
• Cooper Elementary – $3,449, George Kashella, The Reading Connection
• Five Forks Middle – $4,100, Andrew Whatley, Google Chromebooks
• Grace Snell Middle – $5,000, Kimberly Arenas, Cooking Club
• Grayson Elementary – $2,500, Heather Abner, Vending Machine Books
• Grayson High – $3,000, Elaine Orange, Graphing Calculators
• Gwin Oaks Elementary – $2,915, Jan Bradley, Michelle Webb, Lighting Up STEM Specials
• Harbins Elementary – $8,500, Amanda Fletcher, Accelerated Reading Achievement
• J.C. Magill Elementary – $7,707, Betsy Mitchell, The Sensory Processing Area Project
• Mountain Park Elementary – $500, Katie Bevins, Books for First Grade
• Partee Elementary – $10,535, Chad Hett, Explore, Build and Discover
• Pharr Elementary – $4,745, Sarah Powell, Pretending Machine
• R.D. Head Elementary – $5,000, Shann Griffith, Bringing Them Up to Par
• Rosebud Elementary – $2,620, Deborah Roundtree, Rosebudding Into Gardening
• Shiloh Elementary – $5,000, Heidi Glenn, Makerspace Centers
• Shiloh High – $7,000, Dr. Johnathan Gordon, Empowering Forensic Science
• Shiloh Middle – $5,381, Charlene Fletcher, Lift Us Up!
• South Gwinnett High – $21,583, Kennard Weever, College and Career Center Technology
• Starling Elementary – $5,000, Ikwo Poindexter, Engaging Texts for Engaged Readers
• Trickum Middle – $6,000, Dr. Jessica Hegwood, Middle School Mentor Texts
• Trip Elementary – $3,031, Debbie Patrick, To Infinity and Beyond

Morgan County

• Morgan County Elementary – $6,870, Jodi Bailey, Katherine Edwards, Snack on a Book!
• Morgan County High – $15,250, Jennifer Butler, Snap-On Certification Program
• Morgan County Middle – $800, Courtney Thomas, Olivia Daniel, Essentials in Writing
• Morgan County Middle – $1,000, Jennifer Murphy, Daniel Ghann, Outdoor Energy Power Station

Oconee County

• Athens Academy – $3,000, Michael Finnerty, Experiential Astronomy
• Colham Ferry Elementary – $6,500, Jessica Howard, Chance McConnell, Diane Parr, School Themed Gardens and Greenhouse
• Dove Creek Elementary – $4,000, Denisse Maddox, STEAMing Ahead with Coding
• High Shoals Elementary – $477, Tanya Hinzman, H20: Hero to Our World
• Living Word Academy – $3,500, Teresa Cox, Tech Savvy Wildcats
• Malcom Bridge Elementary – $7,518, Nicole Roberts, First Grade Reading Room
• Oconee County Elementary – $5,000, Sherie Fancher, Graphic Novel Collection
• Oconee County Elementary – $7,085, Shannon Collier, Leveling Up with Leveled Reading
• Oconee County High – $5,000, Faith Hoyt, Graphing Calculators
• Oconee County Primary – $1,139, Annie Birdsong, Leveled Reading Room
• Prince Avenue Christian – $7,910, Danny Delgado, Save Me a Seat at the Library!
• Rocky Branch Elementary – $2,358, Lisa Lane, Rachelle Wesseling, Outdoor Weather Station
• Westminster Christian Academy – $6,000, Jared Clark, Interactive Boards for Classrooms

Walton County

• Atha Road Elementary – $7,220, Anna Brantley, Vending the Gift of Reading
• Atha Road Elementary – $14,705, DeeAnn Miller, Wheelchair Accessible Playground
• Bay Creek Elementary – $5,090, Tammy Delk, Readers at the Creek
• Carver Middle – $7,000, Brandon Priest, Gym Wall Pads
• George Walton – $6,500, Jessica Blevins, Lower School Leveled Library
• Harmony Elementary – $3,500, Shannon Spath, Arts for Skill and Character Building
• Loganville Christian – $8,823, Jennifer Hewatt, New Playground Equipment
• Loganville Elementary – $9,300, Cammie McGaughey, Book Vending Machine
• Loganville High – $6,995, Andrea Hobbs, Between the Forks Podcast
• Loganville Middle – $5,467, Justin Youngblood, Horticultural Exploration Garden
• Monroe Area High – $4,187, Scott Shiflett, Nathan Gray, Sarah Sapinski, Veterans History Project
• Monroe Elementary – $2,500, Dr. Zeester Swint, PBIS Rewards Store
• Monroe Elementary – $2,500, Dr. Zeester Swint, PE Equipment
• Sharon Elementary – $1,000, Beth Morgan, PBIS Rewards
• Sharon Elementary – $7,067, Lori Perry, Jag Ag Center
• Social Circle Elementary – $6,200, Melanie Ruark, Mobile Stem Carts
• Social Circle Middle – $2,630, Shelbie Casey, Second Step Social Emotional Learning
• Social Circle Primary – $6,200, Brandie Owens, Mobile STEM Carts
• Victory Baptist – $7,500, Cory Lawrence, Lower School Playground
• Walker Park Elementary – $4,665, Dr. Alicia Burford, Sensory Room Project
• Walnut Grove Elementary – $3,500, Beth Young, Don’t Leave Them Out
• Walnut Grove High – $1,000, Dieu Tran-Pearson, Digital Tools for Student Success
• Youth Elementary – $5,066, Patti Foote, New Chairs
• Youth Elementary – $6,500, Lora Alligood, Playground Sun Shade
• Youth Middle – $3,701, Melanie Dorminey, A Berry Sweet Growing System

Walton EMC is an innovative, customer-owned and focused electric utility serving accounts in 10 Northeast Georgia counties between Atlanta and Athens. In its long history of meeting customer-owners’ needs, the cooperative established successful natural gas and security subsidiaries as well as nationally recognized residential and commercial solar initiatives. For more information, visit waltonemc.com.

# # #

Click here for grant photos