Small Change Can Change Lives
The holiday season is finally here. Some call it the most wonderful season of all. That’s because we associate it with family traditions and gathering with friends and loved ones. It’s a time of giving and spreading joy.
Giving back reminds me of the many good things we have right here in our community and why it’s so important to spread the good as far as we can, especially to the most vulnerable in our local area. I’m also reminded of how wonderful our community is and what a big impact we can have when we work together.
When you are a member of Union County Electric Cooperative, you help us spread the good throughout the year. Through our Operation Round Up program, your donations help local families and individuals in need by providing financial assistance with their energy bills and assisting local non-profit organizations that support our community.
When you “round up” your monthly bill from Union County Electric Cooperative and donate to this fund, you’re making a big difference in someone’s life. You are helping to meet a need of another person, but just as important, you are telling this person the community cares.
Our community focused programs, food donations and other giving projects have supported local needs. We have helped support the local schools and young people, fed families, enabled families in need to keep their lights on and so much more.
Union County Electric Cooperative also participates in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, where we take our community’s brightest young people to Washington, D.C. for a week-long immersion to experience democracy in action. Ultimately, the larger community benefits from these programs because of you and your neighbors.
You’ve likely heard me say that the cooperative principle “concern for community” is part of Union County Electric’s DNA. It defines who we are as an organization. The quality of life improved when we brought electricity to the rural community in 1937. But other things also needed to be addressed and through the years, this co-op has been at the forefront of bringing improvements to the quality of life in this community. It’s why we created the Operation Round Up program in 2018.
To date, with your help, we’ve given over $38,000 back to local charities and individuals through this program. More than 350 electric co-ops across the country have an Operation Round Up program. Together we’ve raised millions of dollars for local communities. This shows that small donations from electric co-ops like ours, over time, can collectively make a big impact.
As a local cooperative, we have a stake in this community. It’s why we support local organizations like the Elk Point Food Pantry, Union County 4H and the Union County Historical Society. We hope you will think of Union County Electric Cooperative as more than your energy provider, but also as a catalyst for good in our community.
On behalf of everyone here at Union County Electric Cooperative, thank you and warmest wishes to you and your loved ones this Thanksgiving. Until next month, stay safe and God bless.