As we gather with family and friends to give thanks later this month, it’s a great time to reflect on the seventh cooperative principle of concern for community, which guides co-ops to improve the quality of life in their areas. In the latest edition of Bright Spots, a co-op lineworker organized a golf tournament to help brighten the holidays for children, Kentucky high schoolers signed up peers to vote, volunteers from a Wisconsin co-op spent all day chopping wood to heat homes, and more.
Have a Bright Spot you’d like to share? Please send your news and photos to Victoria Rocha and Katie Allen.
Young Voter Registration
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Hundreds of Kentucky high schoolers are now registered to vote ahead of the 2026 midterm elections thanks to Co-op Champions, a leadership initiative for Electric Cooperative Youth Tour delegates coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. Through NRECA’s Co-ops Vote, each of the students set up registration tables in hallways and cafeterias, encouraging classmates who will turn 18 by November 2026 to sign up.
“I commend these students for getting civically engaged at a young age,” said Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams. “Registering to vote is the first step to active citizenship, on which the American way of life depends.”
Golfing for Good
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More than 40 golfers teed off at the Cliff View Golf Course in Falling Springs, Virginia, for a fundraiser sponsored by BARC Electric and BARC Connects to benefit local charity Unity4Kids. The event raised more than $2,000—all of which went to the charity’s programs in Alleghany, Bath and Rockbridge counties.
Proceeds will help Unity4Kids provide Christmas gifts through the Alleghany YMCA to 150 children, donate hygiene and personal care items to students in Rockbridge and Bath counties and help foster children and families through local schools and social services.
“I appreciate BARC’s willingness to bring awareness of Unity4Kids to the public,” said Tammy Reid, Unity4Kids director. “We have been blessed to help so many.”
Helping a Library Be Accessible for All
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In Wisconsin, La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative and Menomonie-based Dunn Energy Cooperative are helping the Colfax Public Library’s efforts to renovate its historic building with a $2,000 donation toward a new elevator.
“As an electric cooperative, we’re committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve,” said Brent Ridge, the generation and transmission cooperative’s president and CEO. “We are proud to support this initiative and the community’s commitment to preserving history and making the library accessible to everyone.”
Squashing the Southern Pine Beetle
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The destructive Southern Pine Beetle was the topic of Carroll EMC’s latest agribusiness seminar at its headquarters in Carrollton, Georgia. The tiny pests, which have caused $245 million in damage since the 1970s, threaten grid reliability because they can weaken trees, sending them onto power lines. Speaker Paul McDaniel, a state forestry official, gave a crowd of 70, which included right-of-way owners, practical steps to slow beetle movement, such as regular inspection of pine stands and monitoring for signs like pitch tubes on trees.
Landowner vigilance is helping reduce populations, said McDaniel. “I think we saw the peak last year, but we’ll continue to see spikes over the next couple of years.”
Heating Help in Wisconsin
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As winter’s chill approaches, a group of 10 Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative volunteers spent six hours splitting wood for those needing heating assistance through Interfaith Caregivers’ Heat-a-Home program. The hardy crew ran wood splitters, hauled logs to and from the splitter and stacked split logs on trailers for delivery to local families.
“We even had two guys from our operations crew splitting by hand with axes,” said Joan O’Fallon, director of communications at the Centuria-based co-op. The co-op supports Interfaith Caregivers other times of the year as well, with spring and fall yard cleanups, a holiday gift drive, and Operation Round Up funds for transportation assistance to those needing rides to doctor appointments and other errands.
In Virginia, the Power of Change
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Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s Power of Change program recently awarded nearly $120,000 to 33 nonprofits in its 22-county service area. This cycle’s funding included $5,000 for the Central Rappahannock River Habitat for Humanity for a project involving local high school students’ help in building a home for a veteran and his family. A $3,000 grant will help the Nest Academy RVA with its Pathways to Independence pilot program for youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The program has awarded $1.7 million to communities since it launched in 2005. “This funding shows what cooperative members can do together to empower local nonprofits to continue and expand their vital services, which uplifts our communities,” said Casey Hollins, the Fredericksburg-based co-op’s managing director of public relations and communications.
New Wheels for North Carolina Police
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The Town of Hudson’s police officers are getting a major vehicle upgrade, thanks to a $216,000 Department of Agriculture pass-through grant from Blue Ridge Energy, based in Lenoir. The grant is made possible through USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG), which co-ops award for community development projects in their areas. The grant will go toward three police fleet cars as well a backhoe for the public works department to remove snow, clear downed tree debris and repair and patch roads.
“We’re very thankful that Blue Ridge Energy could assist the Town of Hudson in obtaining this grant for much-needed equipment that will help us provide safety and critical services for the communities we serve,” said Hudson Town Manager Jonathan Greer.
In Texas, a Good Night’s Sleep
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Employees from
HILCO Electric Cooperative in Itasca, Texas, spent a team-building day at a local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national group that builds and delivers bunk beds to children in need. Forming an assembly line, volunteers drilled and sanded planks, cut lumber and stacked finished pieces.
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“Our original goal was 40 beds, but our employees’ hard work helped us surpass that, finishing with 54 completed beds,” said Kendra Markwardt, the co-op’s marketing director. “Even more impressive, our team completed the entire project in just under four hours, handling all the labor ourselves.”
Who Will Be the Next Mr. Football?
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Sponsored by 18 South Carolina co-ops, the state’s annual Mr. Football award recognizes an outstanding senior football player who excels on the field, demonstrates strong character and represents the spirit of sportsmanship. High school coaches nominate players before they go to the selection committee of the state’s Athletic Coaches Association. Judges narrow the field to five finalists, and the winner will be announced before hundreds of fans Dec. 13 at the halftime of the Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives Bowl in Myrtle Beach.
Cleaner Parks and Rivers in Florida
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Volunteers at Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative donned waders to remove debris from a park and shoreline near its Dade City, Florida, headquarters. Linda Pederson Park in Hernando County was the site of one cleanup as part of the 40th Annual International Coastal Cleanup. Elsewhere, volunteers removed hurricane debris from Crystal River in Citrus County as part of a joint effort with the local sheriff’s office and fire department, environmental groups and others.
“Whether it’s global cleanups or local restoration projects, WREC is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities we serve,” said David Lambert, the co-op’s general manager.
Check out previous editions of Bright Spots:
