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Lend a Helping Hand to Other Members This Holiday Season
Christopher—a proud, retired Marine who served in Vietnam— has ongoing medical issues and a pile of medical debt. He struggles to keep his power on and have enough to eat monthly. He cannot work to supplement his fixed income due to his poor health.
Jessica, who is in her 80s, had an undetected hot water pipe leak in her house, requiring extensive and expensive floor repairs and mold removal. She fell behind on her bills and needed help.
Christopher and Jessica’s stories represent many members we hear from throughout the year who need financial assistance with their electric bills due to life’s circumstances outside their control.
It is the holiday season—accompanied by shorter days, colder temperatures, and higher electric bills—when Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) sees a spike in the number of inquiries from members during their time of greatest need.
CEC is here to help. Project Helping Hand is a voluntary program that provides bill payment assistance to co-op members with various demonstrated needs. Fellow members raise donations by opting to round up their electric bills to the nearest dollar.
Members’ spare change can go a long way. Over time, these donations, albeit small, substantially accumulate through the collective effort and, ultimately, significantly help members in need pay their electric bills.
Since the program’s inception in 2000, member donations enabled CEC to distribute more than $500,000 in assistance to more than 3,000 members. Last year, 277 members received a helping hand, totaling more than $51,000.
There are 3 ways to participate. You may elect to have your bill rounded up to the next dollar, add a fixed amount to your monthly bill—whether $1, $2, $5, or more— or make a 1-time donation. Recently, a member made a $1,000 donation.
A few months ago, CEC sent an email appeal to members to sign up for Project Helping Hand, and the response was so encouraging. More than 300 members signed up, pushing enrollment to an all-time high of 2,800 members. We greatly appreciate the care and generosity demonstrated by all members who enrolled.
For those members who haven’t, I urge you to strongly consider doing so this holiday season to help us surpass the 3,000-member threshold. Collectively, members helping members can make lives a little brighter for those in need.
To sign up, go to the Helping Hand page, go online through SmartHub, or call our customer service representatives at (541) 548-2144. You may leave the program at any time. CEC provides a year-to-date contribution summary on your monthly bill.
President and CEO Brad Wilson