Last Updated on November 3, 2025 12:52 pm
Lenoir, North Carolina (October 28, 2025) – Grants awarded by the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation this year focus on helping local communities continue efforts of recovery from the impact of Hurricane Helene-the most devastating natural disaster in western North Carolina's history. Additional funding will support projects in the areas of health, wellness, education, youth, and economic and community development.
In Watauga County, citizens will benefit from 14 grants worth $83,742 awarded recently for the 2025 grant cycle.
The grants are examples of why Blue Ridge Energy established the Members Foundation in 2007 to support the work of community organizations providing services vital to the quality of life for the cooperative's members. Since then, the Foundation has awarded over $2.02 million in community grants.
Local Watauga County agencies receiving grant awards include:
- Appalachian Theatre of the High Country – a $5,000 grant will be used to provide accessible ticket prices to a three show family series for families to enjoy live performances at the Appalachian Theatre during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
- Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture – a $5,000 grant will be used to support the healthy food incentive program that doubles the value of federal nutrition benefits when spent on local food, essentially providing low-income community members with a 50% discount on all local food at local markets.
- Community Care Clinic – a $5,000 grant will be used to supply necessary testing and medical supplies to provide quality medical care for clinical patients who have chronic health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
- Crossnore Communities for Children – a $5,000 grant will be used to support several paving projects across Avery campus.
- Foscoe Grandfather Community Center, Inc. – a $10,000 grant will be used to restore the grounds, repave parking lot, repaint buildings and install a new roof on the community center.
- Freedom Farm Addiction Treatment Center – a $7,500 grant will be used to rebuild foundation back wall, regrade creek and creek banks to direct water away from the building foundation.
- Friends of the Watauga County Public Library – a $10,000 grant will be used to fund a capital campaign underway to raise funds to renovate the interior of the library.
- Mountain Alliance – a $5,000 grant will be used for the School's Out after-school academic support program at Watauga High School.
- Second Harvest Food Bank – a $10,000 grant will be used to help ongoing recovery efforts in the western part of service areas. Second Harvest partners with 42 programs in Ashe, Watauga, Alleghany, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Alexander counties.
- Southern Appalachian Historical Association – a $2,500 grant will be used to allow the hiring of skilled presenters to provide programming including workshops, lectures, events, and demonstrations on topics of historical and cultural interest.
- Sugar Grove Developmental Day School – a $4,242 grant will be used to replace essential infant room equipment that was destroyed by the severe flooding from Hurricane Helene.
- The Salvation Army High Country Service Center- a $2,000 grant will be used to supply laundry detergent, fabric softener, spot remover, etc. for free laundry services.
- WAMY Community Action, Inc. – a $7,500 grant will be used to complete essential home repairs and energy upgrades. WAMY's Housing Department helps preserve the county's housing inventory, shields low-income families from entering a strained housing market, reduces their living costs, and contributes to healthier, safer communities.
- Watauga County Rescue Squad – a $5,000 grant will be used to purchase a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) for faster patient access and evacuation.
A grand total of $175,000 was awarded to 33 organizations across the Blue Ridge Energy service area for the 2025 grant cycle. In 2025, the Foundation also provided crisis energy bill assistance to over 700 Blue Ridge Energy members who needed emergency help paying their electric and fuel bills.
Funding for Foundation grants and crisis assistance comes from members participating in Blue Ridge Energy's Operation Round Up(r) and Operation Round Up Plus(r) programs and an annual contribution from profits of the cooperative's subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energy, LLC, and RidgeLink, LLC. Over 23,500 members are either rounding up their monthly electric bill with Operation Round Up or adding a dollar or more with Operation Round Up Plus. Members also contribute by donating some or all of their annual capital credits.
Anyone with questions about the Foundation or agencies interested in applying for grants may contact Tasha Rountree, director of community relations and economic development, at 828-759-8994 or trountree@blueridgeenergy.com
(front row l-r): Sindy Connell, Salvation Army; Suzanne Livesay, Appalachian Theater; Heidi Ragan, Blue Ridge Energy Watauga District Manager accepting on behalf of Crossnore Communities for Children; Allison Costner, Second Harvest Food Bank; Yolanda Robertson, WAMY Community Action; Catherine King, Community Care Clinic; Liz Whiteman, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture; Jim Quigley, Freedom Farms; Kelsey Wright, Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center and Park; Mary Greene, Southern Appalachian Historical Association; Marisa Sedlak, Mountain Alliance; Miranda Vaughan, Sugar Grove Developmental Day School; Nathaniel McCoy, Watauga Rescue Squad; Donna Breitenstein, Friends of the Watauga County Library (back row l-r): Tasha Rountree, Blue Ridge Energy Director of Community Relations and Economic Development; Kelvin Gryder, Blue Ridge Energy Board of Directors; James Burl (JB) Lawrence, Blue Ridge Energy Board of Directors Assistant Secretary Treasurer; Brittany Luxton, WAMY Community Action; Syden Blume, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture; Ralf Walters, Freedom Farm; Nate Wright, Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center & Park; Marrena Greer, Southern Appalachian Historical Association; Collen McClare, Mountain Alliance; Devon Brown, Sugar Grove Developmental Day School; Randall Townsend, Watauga County Rescue Squad; Barbara Perry-Sheldon, Friends of the Watauga County Library
