President and CEO of Kosciusko REMC Steve Rhodes, left, presents a $10,000 donation to Steve Possell, executive director of Combined Community Services, Warsaw. The $10,000 donation will help local families with heating bills this winter. (Photo provided)

Keeping Kosciusko REMC families warm this holiday season just got a little easier for Combined Community Services (CCS) with a $10,000 donation from KREMC.

Annually, Kosciusko REMC donates to the CCS Winter Heating Assistance Program, but this year the $5,000 donation was doubled with the help of CoBank, the cooperative lending partner CoBank offered a special “Sharing Success” program in honor of the International Year of the Cooperative. The program matches donations made by cooperatives to non-profit organizations up to $5,000.  “The number of KREMC members who struggle to afford heating for their homes rises every year,” said Emily Cowan, Manager of Marketing and Customer Service at Kosciusko REMC, “so after hearing about the matching donations I knew the CCS Winter Heating Assistance Program would benefit the most.”

The program offers KREMC members, who meet certain requirements, funds to pay their winter electric bill. The $10,000 donation will help around 80 KREMC families this winter. If you are a KREMC member and are in need of energy assistance please contact CCS at 574-269-6019.