Sioux Valley Energy recently donated $10,000 to the city of Hills to add playground equipment for its proposed day care facility.
“The city has been working diligently to try and find a solution to help with the day care provider shortage,” said Hills Mayor Keith Elbers.
“It is a long process but, together with everyone’s help and generosity of partners like Sioux Valley Energy, we are going to make this a reality of the city of Hills.”
Work begins this spring to covert a former commercial building into a facility that houses three independent family child care businesses.
The building, located at the corner of East Third Street and South Main Avenue, was obtained by the city through tax forfeiture in 2022.
The city recently received a $120,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to assist in the remodeling.
Rock County Commissioners later contributed $100,000 to the project to encourage anyone interested in opening their own day care business, but who lacked the necessary facility to do so.
The city also recently received a $120,000 grant from the state of Minnesota.
Alliance Communications recently agreed to let the city use bare lot behind the proposed daycare facility to use as a playground.
“We can’t say thank you enough to our many local and corporate partners who have stepped up to make this project a reality for us,” Elbers said.
The $10,000, presented to the city in late December, is part of the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program, which provides grants to community causes and nonprofits.
The grant money comes from cooperative members who “round up” their electricity bills. A matching donation is provided by SVE’s REVIVE 2023 program.
“One of the cooperative’s core principals is commitment to community, and this is the type of project that really embraces and highlights that,” said SVE CEO Tim McCarthy.
“We know that availability and affordability of child care is a challenge, especially in smaller or more rural communities. We stand ready to be strategic partners in finding solutions.”
Communities within the SVE service territory are eligible for participation in the REVIVE 2030 program.
For more information contact Brandon Lane or Jay Buchholz at 800-234-1960.