Kankakee Valley REMC Awards Porter-Starke Foundation with $5,000 Grant

Kankakee-REMC-Porter-Starke-5000Kankakee Valley REMC recently awarded the Porter-Starke Services Foundation a $5,000 grant to continue the “You and Your Baby” program designed to build parenting skills for first-time mothers. The grant will help Porter-Starke Services continue to build the free, four-week program and meet the increasing demand in the community.

I have really enjoyed spending time with and building positive relationships with the parents that have participated in the program,” said Todd Willis, Director of Children’s Services at Porter-Starke. “It is rewarding for me to see these young families gain greater confidence in their parenting skills over the course of the program,” said Willis.

The program was initially started through a grant from the Kiwanis Club of Valparaiso and will be continued with the funds provided by Kankakee Valley REMC.

We are really pleased to see that we can make an impact on so many families in our area,” said Amanda Steeb, Marketing Director at Kankakee Valley REMC. “These donations, made possible by our members’ commitment to giving back, truly make a difference in the lives of others. To me, that’s what is most meaningful about the Operation Roundup program,” said Steeb.

The Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Roundup program allows members of the Wanatah-based electrical cooperative to voluntarily choose to round up their electric bill to the next highest dollars each month so that the extra funds may be used to grant to worthy causes throughout the organization’s service area.

The “You and Your Baby” program covers basic needs of the baby, techniques for discipline, how to trigger natural responses from the baby and how first-time parents can connect with their new child.

For more information about Operation Roundup, visit www.kvremc.com or call (800) 552-2622. For more information about the Porter-Starke Services Foundation or to make a charitable donation, visit www.porterstarke.org or call (219) 531-3510. For more information about the “You and Your Baby” program or to check availability, contact Todd Willis at 219.476.4655