Electric Co-Op NOVEC Donates $30K To Area Food Banks

MANASSAS, VA — Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and its nonprofit organization NOVEC Hands Engaged in Local Public Service are giving $30,000 to area food banks and other nonprofit groups to provide support during the holidays.

NOVEC HELPS is relying on employee contributions, customer donations and fundraisers to support the community during the coronavirus. NOVEC HELPS is a nonprofit organization of NOVEC employees who volunteer their time.

"NOVEC and NOVEC HELPS are making the holidays bright for everyone, but not just with electricity," Ashley Arnold, NOVEC's community relations representative, said Wednesday in a statement.

One of the largest electric co-ops in the nation, NOVEC, headquartered in Manassas, provides electricity to more than 172,000 customers in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford and Clarke counties and the city of Manassas Park and the town of Clifton.

NOVEC partners with social service agencies that determine recipients' eligibility and distributes the funds. Participating agencies are:

• The Salvation Army in Loudoun, Fairfax and Fauquier counties
• Action in Community Through Service (ACTS), Prince William County
• Northern Virginia Family Service's SERVE program, Prince William County
• SERVE Inc., Stafford County
• Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, Fairfax County

"We're helping to keep shelves filled at area food banks, which are feeding people in need, many of whom are struggling with the consequences of COVID-19," Arnold said. "We're supporting a number of nonprofit organizations that are helping with everything from holiday toy distribution to coat collections to suicide prevention."

The public can donate at www.novechelps.org or by mailing checks payable to NOVEC HELPS to: NOVEC HELPS, P.O. Box 2710, Manassas, VA 20108.

Throughout 2020, NOVEC's Operation Round Up program has provided $111,700 to local social service agencies for emergency energy assistance. More than 18,000 NOVEC customers participate in Operation Round Up by rounding up their monthly electric bills.

"Those additional cents go into the ORU fund to assist their neighbors in need of emergency energy assistance. That's especially important in the winter," Arnold said.

NOVEC customers can sign up to participate at www.novec.com/oru or call the customer care center at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500. The public can donate by sending a check in any amount, payable to NOVEC Operation Round Up, and mailed to: NOVEC ORU, P.O. Box 2710, Manassas, VA 20108.