Cooperative Month: Putting Concern for Community into Action
October is National Cooperative Month and, in recognition, beginning this month we’re sharing the Seven Cooperative Principles by shining a spotlight on the ways in which LREC is demonstrating each one to our members. Our first featured principle is Concern for Community.
A cooperative serves its member-owners best when it operates as more than just a utility company. With that understanding, we strive to show our Concern for Community through our continued efforts toward safety and education for our youth and our charitable giving program, Operation Round Up (ORU).
Throughout the school year, LREC linemen and Operations staff join 4-H and other organizations for live events at elementary schools in our service area to provide in-person electrical safety presentations. By using our table-top safety demo, we’re able to engage kids with a hands-on learning experience about staying mindful around power lines. (The guys were a big hit with kids and adults at our recent Member Appreciation event, too.)
Every spring, our Pelican Rapids office hosts a group of students from Viking Elementary for a tour of our office and warehouse to understand the different roles within the co-op, try out some lineworker gear, get an up-close look at vehicles and equipment, and learn about the future of energy with an overview of our on-site solar panel array.
Operation Round Up continues that focus by delivering financial support — through generous donations from our members ‘rounding up’ their monthly bills — to local non-profit and charitable organizations in need. With almost $900K awarded through LREC’s ORU program to date, Star Lake-based Camp Joy and the Bluffton Fire Department are just a few recipients able to complete critical projects and/or purchase equipment because of ORU giving. Later this year, we’ll spotlight another awardee, the Detroit Lakes-based Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics, to show how members are helping take this facility and the skills of young gymnasts and ninja warriors to the next level.
View the complete list of principles and check back in future newsletters to learn how LREC is putting each one into action.
