While shoppers with COOP membership numbers look forward to receiving rebate checks each year, a new COOP program now offers members the chance to donate their rebates to aid hurricane relief on the Gulf Coast.

The COOP has also agreed to match all donations up to $50,000.

All money raised will be distributed to Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House Association (PHBHA) and to The MIT Public Service Center. According to General Manager Allan E. Powell, so far The COOP has collected over $34,000 from rebates, and will match that amount and then distribute the money. Powell said COOP patrons can continue to donate rebate checks.

“Each year The COOP has encouraged members to donate their rebate checks to student activities at Harvard and MIT,” Powell said. “This year when the hurricane hit, we came up with a matching formula to encourage more donations.”

The COOP’s hurricane relief initiative is not its first philanthropic project.

“When we had the attacks on Sept. 11, The COOP saw an opportunity to try to help the victims of the attacks, and developed a rebate program much like the one we are using today,” Powell said.

The COOP first planned to donate its funds to the Red Cross, but at the suggestion of students on the company’s University and Community Relations Committee, decided to give the money to student-oriented organizations.

According to Gene Corbin, the executive director of PBHA, The COOP’s contributions will comprise the majority of funding for PBHA’s “Helping Rebuild the Gulf Coast” project, which will send groups of Harvard students to the Gulf Coast areas most affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during intersession.

“PBHA is incredibly appreciative of the Harvard COOP for making it possible for Harvard students to be involved in helping rebuild the Gulf Coast,” Corbin said.

The PBHA volunteers will be sent to low-income, predominantly-minority communities in New Orleans and Moss Point, Miss. Corbin said that PBHA is considering adding an additional trip due to the overwhelming response received by volunteers and because of the funding by The COOP. Both Corbin and Powell emphasized the importance of students donating rebates to the relief effort.