Welcome to the July 2025 edition of Bright Spots—a roundup of stories showcasing electric cooperatives’ community impact. (In case you missed it, our inaugural version was published in June.) This month, read about free family-friendly movies, help for an iconic lighthouse, buddy benches at an Alabama school and more.

Have a Bright Spot you’d like to share? Please send your news and photos to Victoria Rocha and Katie Allen.

A Breakfast Feast for Charity

Florida’s Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative has been a longtime supporter of Vincent House, a mental health services agency for Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando counties. During May, Mental Health Awareness Month, WREC’s second annual breakfast fundraiser raked in about $63,000 for the agency’s vocational and social services. Employees shop for ingredients, cook and then serve the feast, which includes 250 cups of coffee, 55 pounds of bacon and country sausage, 10 gallons of orange juice, 300 pancakes and biscuits, and other breakfast items. Throughout the year, Vincent House members also gain work experience at WREC. “Our cooperative’s commitment to community well-being goes beyond providing resilient electric service,” said WREC General Manager David Lambert. “It extends to creating opportunities for individuals to grow, learn and thrive.”

A Blockbuster Collaboration

Virginia’s Rappahannock Electric Cooperative has teamed up with a local nonprofit movie theater to host a free weekly summer series of family films, including “Shrek” and “Sing 2.” In past years, the Ashland Theatre has shown $2 matinees, but this summer the movies are free, thanks to a contribution from the Fredericksburg-based co-op, its first year of doing so. Community support like REC’s is essential to expand the historic theater’s reach, said Executive Director Courtney F. Caldwell. “Our theatre is a community destination and should be enjoyed by everyone.”

Four-Legged Lawnmowers

Why use a lawn service when dozens of sheep are ready, willing and up for the job? This summer, Minnesota’s Great River Energy “hired” nearly 300 sheep to graze at the pollinator habitat at its Elk River campus. Working with Minnesota Native Landscapes, the Maple Grove-based generation and transmission co-op turned to sheep to keep thatch, weeds and grass at bay. Border collies helped load and unload the sheep, including a few puppies in training. The sheep’s natural fertilizer is an extra bonus. “Grazing is a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly way to manage vegetation,” said the G&T’s Byron Johnson, supervising manager for vegetation management. “It was exciting to see them out there.”

Baking for Good

Montana’s Flathead Electric Cooperative raised nearly $1,100 during its second “Bake It Happen” charity bake-off and silent auction to benefit the Cooperative Family Fund, a nonprofit created by former NRECA President Tony Anderson to aid children whose parents have passed away while employed at an electric co-op. This year, judges sampled and scored each item in three categories, including “Too Pretty to Eat.” Employees could bid throughout the day on the cakes, biscuits and cookie platters during a silent auction.

A Brighter Lighthouse

The co-ops directed a $30,000 economic development grant to Outer Banks Forever, the philanthropic arm of the Outer Banks National Parks, for a 1.25-mile pathway, which just opened. The grant went toward the design of the multiuse path in Buxton. “A well-thought-out design is often hard to find funding for and helps to ensure that the path provides a safe and enjoyable experience for all who use it,” said David Hallac, superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina.

Co-op Crews at School

School is out at Woodlin School, but this summer volunteers from Morgan County REA, based in Fort Morgan, Colorado, have helped maintain the grounds. Once or twice a month, three to four employees drive 100 miles roundtrip to mow, weed and trim bushes at the remote K-12 school in Woodrow. The co-op volunteers are committed to continuing when students return this fall. “I’m really glad that we’ve been able to help them—every little bit counts,” said Jennifer Ogley, the co-op’s human resources director.

A Part of Texas Hill Country History

A Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit on rural America is making its way across the country, recently stopping for several days at a middle school in Bandera, Texas, thanks to support from local organizations, including Bandera Electric Cooperative. “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” uses interactive displays, multimedia storytelling and hands-on activities to explore the evolving landscape of rural life in America. The co-op also contributed artifacts for an exhibit on its role in bringing electricity to the Texas Hill Country. “We are deeply woven into the fabric of our community—whether that means offering support through donations, participating in events, or simply lending a helping hand,” said Kati Fitzpatrick, marketing and communications supervisor.

Celebrating Unsung Heroes

Alabama’s Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and local television affiliate WTVY are recognizing people making a difference in the local community. Recipients of the monthly Unsung Heroes award get $1,000 from the Hartford-based co-op’s Operation Roundup Foundation as well as air time on the TV station. Recently, the station featured rising high school senior Hana Hutchinson’s Friendship Foundation, which provides “Buddy Benches” to schools, daycare centers and churches in Enterprise. Handmade by Hutchinson and her father, the benches are designed to help children make friends by giving them a place to sit when they’re feeling lonely. “Making friends can be hard, especially at a young age,” Hutchinson said during her TV segment. “It’s really all about spreading kindness and being compassionate to others.”

Preserving Wisconsin History

Barron Electric Cooperative and CoBank’s Sharing Success program have contributed $10,000 toward a new welcome center at the Pioneer Village Museum in Cameron, Wisconsin. The Barron-based co-op has long supported the museum with donations toward the purchase of a Soo Line caboose and labor and equipment to move a pole and the purchase of an automated external defibrillator for guests. In turn, museum personnel have helped out at co-op events, with displays of artifacts at BEC’s 75th annual meeting. Both will create a history display at the museum “to highlight the rich history Barron Electric holds in the county,” said Jennifer Beaudette, director of member services.