TVA Donates $10,000 To Food Ministry
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) donated $10,000 to Compassion Ministry, matching an earlier $10,000 contribution from BorgWarner. Participating in the ceremonial check passing are (from left) Water Valley Mayor Donald Gray, Compassion board member Ted Odom, BorgWarner plant manager Ray Robertson, Compassion director Raymond Aven, TVA customer service manager Derek McGill and electric department superintendent Andy Hall.
WATER VALLEY – The Water Valley Electric Department has partnered with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to award Compassion Ministry a $10,000 donation. The hefty check from TVA’s Community Care Fund program will help the food ministry continue to serve the community during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The partnership initiative provides local power companies the opportunity to identify organizations or local initiatives for which they can seeking matching funds from TVA.
“When we learned of this partnership initiative, we discovered that a $10,000 donation to Compassion from BorgWarner in November could be used for the local match to leverage this donation from TVA,” Water Valley Electric Department Superintendent Andy Hall explained. “TVA is a great community partner and we are excited to be part of this effort to assist our local food bank.”
The ceremonial check presentation was held Tuesday morning at BorgWarner, with community leaders attending. BorgWarner Plant Manager Ray Robertson reported the company was proud that their $10,000 contribution in November could be used as matching money for TVA’s donation.
“At BorgWarner, we believe in taking care of the community. It is one of the things we preach and we practice. It is an honor to be able to be in a position to do that,” Robertson explained. “We really appreciate the team at Compassion Ministry and what they do for the community. We have supported them for years and will continue,” he added.
TVA launched the Community Care Fund in April, 2020, to help address hardships created by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the initiative’s first six months, it has provided support to 344 nonprofits across the TVA service territory, totaling a combined $4.7 million in assistance. In addition to the Water Valley Electric Department, 136 other power companies have participated in the program.
“As part of our mission of service, TVA is an active partner with local power companies to help address the challenges families and businesses are facing today,” reported Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. “The Community Care Fund is a great demonstration of how public power benefits the people of Tennessee Valley as we translate strong company performance into dollars for relief across the communities we serve.”
The donation comes as Compassion continues to meet increased demand from families in Lafayette and Yalobusha counties.
“We are taking the funds and trying to stretch them to serve the community,” Compassion Director Raymond Aven added. Aven also said the two $10,000 donations are a vital boost to the organization.
“It gives us the cushion and the courage to realize we know we have enough to meet the needs,” Avant explained.
Compassion serves hundreds of families each month during bi-monthly food distribution at their headquarters at 1301 Hwy. 7, north of Water Valley. The ministry was launched almost 22 years ago and has provided assistance for thousands of families during that time.
How To Register For Food At Compassion Ministry
Anyone who lives in Lafayette or Yalobusha counties can visit the ministry during scheduled pickup times on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. to register. The ministry follows USDA guidelines for the registration process, and eligibility is based on household income.
To register, you must fill out paperwork that includes your name, address, phone number and number of people in your household. Proof of income is also required for each person in the house. The only other requirements are a photo ID and proof of residency.
Once approved, the recipient receives a card that is good until October, when the process is renewed annually. People who qualify for SNAP benefits are automatically eligible to receive the food.
