How UCEMC Cares is helping keep Overton County kids safe

UCEMC Cares exists to support local programs that make our communities stronger. It is powered by members who choose to round up their monthly electric bill to the nearest dollar. That extra change is small, often just pennies, but together it becomes valuable grants that stay right here at home.

One UCEMC Cares grant helped provide fire blankets for every fourth grader who attended Progressive Ag Safety Day in Overton County.

On Friday, May 9, 2025, fourth graders across Overton County gathered for a hands-on safety event. Their goal was simple: to teach kids practical safety lessons they will remember and use.

“I have coordinated the Progressive Ag Safety Day for Overton County going on 11 years now and I am blessed to be able to help with this great event for our community,” Twyla Whited shared.

The lessons at Progressive Ag Safety Day are practical and real. Students rotate through stations focused on everyday situations, including fire safety, electrical safety, ATV safety, first aid, and other topics that can prevent tragedies.

“We are constantly reminded that this program is so worth it,” she said. “If we reach only one child through our lessons and they go home and apply what they learned, then our work has been a success.”

For years, the Overton County team focused on providing life jackets because so many families spend time on Dale Hollow Lake. In 2025, the committee decided to provide fire blankets to every fourth-grade student instead.

Those fire blankets were made possible in part through UCEMC Cares grants, funded by local UCEMC members who round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar each month.

“Without help from UCEMC Cares grants each year, these safety items would not be possible,” Twyla said. “We have huge community support but funds for these items are limited.”

Soon after Progressive Ag Safety Day, the story took a turn no one expected. A fourth-grade student named Kennedi spotted a small car fire. Her family stopped to help and used her fire blanket. The blanket helped contain the flames until firefighters arrived.

“I am so proud of Kennedi for remembering the fire blanket,” the coordinator said. “And so happy we had adjusted our lesson to teach each child how to properly use them.”

This is why UCEMC Cares matters. It is local help for local people. Grants are awarded to charities, nonprofits, and organizations serving communities across the UCEMC service area. Every dollar stays here locally and goes back into our communities to help our members and neighbors.

Because of members who choose to round up, UCEMC Cares has been able to make a real impact year after year. UCEMC Cares has awarded more than $2 million since the program began, including $166,000 last year alone to 104 local nonprofits.

UCEMC Cares grants support a wide range of local needs, including volunteer fire departments, youth programs, food assistance programs, community organizations, and other nonprofit services that strengthen the Upper Cumberland. We share the grants awarded each month on our website so members can see exactly how their spare change is being put to work. To learn more, visit https://www.ucemc.com/ucemc-cares/.

If you are not donating yet, you can start anytime. Fill out the form and mail it to P.O. Box 159, Carthage, Tennessee 37030, or bring it by your local UCEMC office. You can also sign up by phone by calling (800) 261-2940.