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Investing in Community

Ruralite

Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) & Its Employees Continually Invest in the Community While Ensuring the Safe Delivery of Clean, Reliable, & Affordable Energy to Co-Op Members

By Courtney Cobb

A trailer transporting a large electrical pole, showcasing its size and structure against a clear background.1 of the 7 principles guiding the cooperative and its employees is Concern for Community. The men and women who work to keep the power on also help those in need, give time to worthy causes, and educate the community about power safety.

Some of the organizations and causes CEC and its employees support include:

  • Youth education and sports programs
  • Childhood health and development
  • Veterans outreach and associations
  • Hospice
  • Chamber and Rotary
  • United Way
  • Opportunity Foundation
  • Economic development
  • The Salvation Army
  • Regional food banks

CEC remains dedicated to helping equip local youth to make a difference in the future. This summer, board members and employees participated in auctions for the Jefferson County, Crook County, and Deschutes County 4-H and FFA programs. CEC purchased hogs, sheep, and goats, totaling approximately $24,000, which went to local 4-H and FFA participants.

Atticus Lau, a senior at Realms High School in Bend, received an all-expense-paid trip for the National Rural Electric Cooperative’s annual Washington, D.C., Youth Tour. He and 15 other students from Oregon and California explored the nation’s capital, visiting famous landmarks, museum,s and more.

“I definitely appreciate our nation’s history more because there has been a lot of sacrifice by a lot of people, and I especially appreciate this because lots of the rights and privileges I enjoy— along with countless others—are owed to them,” Atticus says.

Whether giving students the chance to visit the past or invest in the future, CEC understands the importance of education. The co-op provided $4,500 this year for the Central Oregon Community College Foundation scholarship.

CEC’s Project Helping Hand provides bill payment assistance to members who demonstrate need. The program allows members to round up their bills or donate to help cooperative members in need. This year proved especially difficult for some members adversely impacted by the economy and inflation.

In October, the cooperative’s customer and energy services employees pitched in to help local nonprofit The Ronald McDonald House. The team helped with yard maintenance, prepping meals, organizing and stocking the storeroom, assembling gift bags, and cleaning.

The cooperative takes pride in promoting safety around electricity in our communities. At the Deschutes County Fair, CEC lineworkers demonstrated potential hazards from downed power lines, what people should and should not do around electricity, and how to work safely around electrical equipment.

CEC employees also gave back to the community in other ways, including volunteering with local nonprofits and donating goods to local food banks and shelters.