Success Stories for North Carolina

Power Quickly Restored to Over 900: Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation (NC-066), Hertford, North Carolina, linemen quickly restored power to more than 900 members when a line of strong thunderstorms recently blew over a utility pole.

The utility pole, located on Woodville Road, was the main feed from the Elizabeth City substation to the Woodville area in Perquimans County. In just a few hours the pole was cut away and a new pole installed.

The storm also knocked out power to 1,290 Dominion North Carolina customers and tore the front roof off the historic 1812 Bed and Breakfast in Hertford.

May 2006

Brunswick Senior Resources Gets Wheels with help from 2005 Community Grant Funds: The Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC) (NC-040), Shallotte, North Carolina, portion of this new, specially-designed truck for delivering Meals on Wheels is probably just the tires, but we're happy to have played a part in the purchase of the truck which carries so much to a group of very deserving citizens. Jim Russell, President of the group proudly displays the names of all his donors on the back of the vehicle as they deliver nearly 900 meals every week throughout the county.

More about this grant program and BEMC: Jim Russell, Director of Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc, (BSRI) stopped by the BEMC offices in late September to show off the first of three new vehicles for delivering Meals on Wheels to the elderly throughout the county. The BEMC Community Grant was combined with several other funding sources, including major gifts from the Duke Endowment Fund and other foundations, as well as several local businesses and groups. Russell parlayed his considerable experience working for the United Way in Florida and North Carolina into a combination of donor funds to add to BSRI's original fleet of two basic trucks. The three specially designed vehicles will be used to deliver nearly 900 meals a week from BSRI. The vehicles each have a hot and a cold compartment to comply with stringent food handling requirements for delivering the meals. If you see one of these vehicles around town, check out the list of donors on the back, it's a perfect example of what people working together can accomplish.

The goal of BEMC Community Grants is to provide a helping hand or provide seed money for worthwhile programs for citizens of all ages. BEMC Community Grants are funded by the proceeds of an auction at the Annual Meeting in September of each year. Consideration is given to the following general areas of community need: family services programs, civic and community programs, cultural and arts programs, emergency services and community development activities. Grants are made to organizations, not to individuals and range from $500 - $2500.

BEMC is the third largest electric cooperative in North Carolina, serving nearly 70,000 member locations in southeastern North Carolina.

April 2006

Ball Field Receives Lighting Upgrade: Perquimans Youth League Field, in Hertford, recently received some needed improvements to its electrical system thanks to Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation (NC-066) (Albemarle EMC), Hertford, North Carolina.

Albemarle EMC recently removed eight 50-foot poles at the field and replaced them with four 70-foot poles. In addition, all of the overhead power lines were taken down and replaced with underground power lines.

Carolina Pole Inc. donated one of the new poles and provided the other three at cost. In addition, Billy Williams who operates Williams Farm Partnership provided some heavy-equipment work to move the poles around the field. Finally, Perquimans County purchased the sports lighting to replace the existing lighting.

The project accomplishes several goals: The underground lines improve the look of the field as well as increase the safety. Also, the higher poles and sports lighting will allow for a better-lit field for about half the cost of what the field operators were paying.

"The sports lighting should cut their power usage by half," said Brad Furr, manager of technical services for Albemarle EMC. Albemarle EMC linemen install one of four 70-foot poles at Perquimans Youth League Field, in Hertford.

April 2006

Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation Appreciation Day: Year after year, Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation (Surry-Yadkin EMC) (NC-049), Dobson, North Carolina, sets aside one special day to honor our customers as well as our employees. The first Friday of June every year Surry-Yadkin EMC invites all our membership as well as local businesses to stop by and enjoy a "Hot Dog & Hamburger Lunch" with us. The Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity for us to take a moment and let our members, co-op employees and local business people know just how special and important they are to making our cooperative a success.

Attendance grows year after year and our membership seems to truly enjoy the opportunity to fellowship one with another as well as with the employees and Board of Directors at Surry-Yadkin EMC. Our members have the opportunity to fellowship one with another at our Annual Meeting each year but this gives them a second opportunity to come together in a more relaxed and comfortable setting. Appreciation Day is the best opportunity we have as a cooperative to say "thank you" to our members and it is always a wonderful, fun filled day.

April 2006

People Helping People -- First PHP member still making a difference: Over the years, since People Helping People was first started at Randolph Electric Membership Corporation (Randolph EMC) (NC-036), Asheboro, North Carolina, many interesting and wonderful things have happened. There was the time when a nonmember of Randolph EMC brought in a block of silver and $200 cash as a donation to PHP; or the time when a People Helping People Board member actually went shopping for food for an elderly member of REMC and took it to her; or the fact that more than 1,000 people have volunteered to allow Randolph EMC to round off their electric bills to the next dollar. Those have certainly been special moments.

And there have been many tears shed when these funds have been given out. The situation could have been a sickness, a loss of a job, a family that split up or even an injury in Iraq where help was needed. Whatever the reason, the funds generated from People Helping People have gone to help many members of Randolph EMC.

All those memories are certainly fond ones, but there is one moment that rises above all the rest. It concerns a member, Agnes Donohoe. Mrs. Donohoe was the first person to call and ask to be a member of People Helping People. That in itself isn't too interesting, except that Agnes Donohoe was 93 years old at the time! Today, still a very independent lady, she is heading towards her 99th birthday, and Agnes Donohoe is still giving to People Helping People! Interestingly, her recent answers for why she chose to give to People Helping People are still the same. One of 14 children, she said, "I have been down a hard road in my life and I know what it's like to need help. I will do anything I can to help others. People Helping People is one way that I can make a difference."

Thank you, Agnes Donohoe! You have been a blessing to not only the members of Mount Herman United Methodist Church, but also to Randolph EMC. We hope to visit again on your 105th birthday and update our story!

April 2006

NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE/COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AWARD: North Carolina Electric Co-op Wins National Award for Community Investment, Orlando, Florida - February 20, 2006, Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation (LREMC) (NC-051), Red Springs, North Carolina, today was presented a National Community Service Community Investment Award by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to honor LREMC's leadership and contributions in a public-private partnership that spurred economic growth and strengthened the quality of life in its community. The award was presented during the Celebration Luncheon event as part of the activities during NRECA's Annual Meeting held here.

The service area of LREMC is a formerly tobacco and textile dependent region. The demise of both of these major industries, which began in the mid 1990s, wreaked economic havoc throughout the region. This was, and is, evident in high unemployment, poverty and per capita income levels well below the national and state levels, and a high school dropout rate that exceeds 50 percent.

In 1996, the LREMC Board of Directors and its CEO formally recognized the need for economic development. They recognized that without significant action by the community, economic and educational stagnation would have continued and future growth would have gone elsewhere, along with the younger residents. LREMC's approach was to first comprehend the long-term needs of the community and develop a strategic plan to complement existing opportunities. With LREMC serving as a catalyst, a set of programs were developed to improve employment, education and quality of life. This unique, innovative and direct action plan was subsequently endorsed through a partnership agreement with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Robeson Community College, the Public Schools of Robeson County, Robeson County Commissioners, and the Town of Pembroke.

In 1998, LREMC, in partnership with the educational organizations within its service territory, set out to provide a technology focused education and training center surrounded by a business and industrial park to spur economic growth and to support and to partner with leading edge businesses and industry. The center, now known as COMtech, is situated on 600 acres of level land. This attractive site was certified by the North Carolina Department of Commerce for business and industrial tenants in 2002. LREMC also played an enabling role in building necessary infrastructure for commercial land development. For example, a local developer could not obtain funding to finish a primary sewer line for a commercial property parcel. LREMC made a secured loan from general funds for the line, which enabled construction of a shopping center. Because of LREMC's quick response, a third shopping center under construction on the 109 acre parcel.

The accomplishments of this nine-year community investment initiative are impressive. More than 1,000 jobs have been created and more than 100 new businesses have been created. New water and sewer infrastructure development has made possible the construction of more than 1,000 new homes. The area has received more than $100 million in capital investment.

As significant is the way people in their community have worked in cooperation to change their economic future. Over a four-year period more than 4,000 action hours were contributed by individuals and 2,000 of work by committees and local boards that supported the COMtech project.

Today, the project is very near self-sufficiency with a two-year operating reserve and 12 tenants either occupying buildings in the park or with buildings under construction. In just over four years, in a poor rural area, the COMtech project has directly and indirectly generated more than $58 million in community investment.

LREMC put its time, money and expertise to work building the local economy and strengthening relationships with customers-owners and the local community. These development activities were conducted in accordance with the "Commitment to Community" cooperative principle.

Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation (LREMC) is a consumer-owned electric cooperative headquartered in Red Springs, North Carolina. The cooperative provides electricity to about 50,000 members along 5,000 miles of line in 1,400 square miles of service territory.

NRECA's National Community Service Awards honor community outreach. From the beginning, consumer-owned electric cooperatives and public power districts have been important social and economic components of the communities they serve. Cooperatives play an active role. From helping local citizens prepare for job interviews to expanding educational programs for their youth and serving as the catalyst for local economic development. As times change and new needs arise and are met, the bond between community and cooperative is strengthened. The commitment of cooperatives has proven invaluable over the decades and will continue in the future.

February 2006

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