Judith, second from right, a Warsaw resident, received a ramp from Servants at Work; the ramp was funded by REMC’s Operation Round Up. She is pictured with SAWs volunteers. Photo provided.

News Release

WARSAW — Kosciusko REMC is holding a fundraiser through the end of March with the end goal of building a ramp for a local community member.

The electric cooperative is matching every donation up to $2,000 from the community and seeks to raise that amount from the community for the ramp materials. The cooperative is partnering with Servants at Work, or “SAWs,” a local nonprofit that builds ramps to provide freedom and accessibility to community applicants.

The partnership between KREMC and Servants at Work was born from the co-op’s grant program, Operation Round Up. SAWs received an Operation Round Up grant in the 2021-2022 year and used the money to build ramps for two community members on KREMC lines. Earlier this week, KREMC published a blog at kremc.com/blog that featured SAWs as a grantee and highlighted its mission in the community.

“The ability to go outside can greatly impact someone’s quality of life,” said Laura Belko, the program development manager at SAWs, in KREMC’s blog. “We’re ‘boots on the ground’ in the communities, identifying and taking care of immediate needs. KREMC does the same thing. We both see quality life not as a luxury, but as a necessity,” Belko added.

Anyone from the community is invited to donate any amount to the ramp fundraiser at sawsramps.org/kosciusko. KREMC will keep its social media platforms updated on the progress of the fundraiser and continue to ask for donations through the end of March.

Community members are also welcome to volunteer to build the ramp after the fundraiser is complete. SAWs ramp projects are assigned to volunteer crews throughout Indiana once the organization has approved an applicant and raised the necessary money.

“Our volunteers get to be there and interact with the clients, and they get to immediately see the impact in just a few hours of volunteering,” said Belko.

If community members are interested in donating to the ramp fundraiser, they can visit sawsramps.org/kosciusko, and they can contact [email protected] to inquire about volunteering.

Leann, a Syracuse resident, received a ramp from Servants at Work; the ramp was funded by REMC’s Operation Round Up. SAWs volunteers are pictured. Photo provided.