Empowering Communities; Enhancing Lives
Cooperatives and Community Development. 1 of the 7 guiding principles of cooperatives is “Concern for Community.” Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities while focusing on member needs. Board President Tim Edwards discussed the importance of the Cooperative Principles in depth in his annual report last month.
Community Involvement. Rio Grande’s employees and board of directors have a vested interest in doing what’s best for the communities we serve because we live, work, and raise our families in these same communities. We support our communities through donations to worthy organizations, participating in community events, and educating the public about electrical safety at every opportunity.
Community-Centered Events. Some of our recent community-centered events are:
- Alpine area: The Ft. Davis Higher Education Foundation 5K &1K Race; Big Bend Bluegrass Association
- Brackettville area: Fort Clark Days and Kinney County Jr. Livestock Show
- Carrizo Springs area: Banners in support of Wildcats High School Boys Basketball Team (in Playoffs)
- Ft. Stockton area: Panther & Prowler Athletics Program water donation; Ft. Stockton Historical Society
- Dell City area: Hudspeth Co. Jr. Livestock Show
Rio Grande Electric Cooperative (RGEC) Scholarship Program. The RGEC Scholarship Program is concluding for this cycle. We received 20 applications from eligible high school students for academic scholarships, 2 Vocational-Technical school applications, and 23 Continuing Education applications from students in college, who were previous recipients of the RGEC scholarship when at the high school level. There is a total of up to $31,500 which could be awarded to students whose parents or legal guardians are members of the Co-op.
Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Our Electrical Safety Poster Contest is an annual event, which is open to any student in Grades 1-6, attending an accredited public, private, or home-school program in any county RGEC serves. Their parents do not need to be members of RGEC. There are 2 divisions, Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-6. A $50 gift card is awarded to each division winner annually.
Sharing Success Grants. Each year, the Rio Grande and our energy partners team up to provide Sharing Success Grants for worthy non-profit organizations throughout the counties in RGEC’s service territory. The 2024 application cycle opened in March and will close on June 30. Past recipients include a variety of altruistic organizations running the gamut from food banks to animal shelters, historic preservation, counseling, emergency response, and other health services, to senior centers and ecological causes, to name but a few. To nominate an organization or to apply, visit the Sharing Success page.
RGEC Employees in the Community. You will likely find RGEC employees out on youth baseball, soccer, and football fields this summer as volunteers coaching or simply cheering on the local team. There’s a good possibility that the Co-op at some point replaced burned-out light bulbs or helped with the wiring at that field. Why do we do it in the 20 counties the Cooperative serves? Because we still believe in neighbors helping neighbors, in supporting our communities, and in activities that make a difference in the lives of our primarily rural areas. Like our motto says, “Empowering Communities, Enhancing Lives”.