WEC was created not in a boardroom, but by lamplight in the homes of its founding members. The people who work on the lines and in the office are often members themselves: you see them grocery shopping, attending school functions, or at Town Meeting in your own community. Community has always been at the heart of the Co-op, and the staff and members of WEC show their care for their neighbors in several different ways.
Everyday Member Support
The Co-op’s first commitment is to meet its members’ needs as best it can. Every day, Member Services Representatives are available to help members create budgets that keep the lights on. Leaders look for opportunities for bill relief for members who are income-eligible, like through the current Affordable Community Renewable Electricity (ACRE) pilot program in collaboration with sister co-op VEC. WEC also partners with community action agencies to design resource programs that prioritize access and equity.
Member households with someone who has severe medical needs should alert the Co-op, to ensure someone is checking on them in the event of an outage. If members with medical needs move or no longer have an issue that requires wellness checks, please let the Co-op know that, too, to save important time during outages.
Seasonal Programs
WEC staff are proud to organize support for donation drives that brighten holidays and help Vermonters through the winter. Staff, Board members, vendors, and others involved in WEC’s daily operations are invited to contribute to a gift basket for a veteran family. New this year, WEC began contributions to a national family fund for children who have a parent die while employed by an electric cooperative.
Veterans, Inc. is a regional nonprofit with a mission to end homelessness among military veterans. WEC staffers and vendors have a longstanding tradition of helping sponsor the holidays for veterans and their families served by the Bradford, Vermont office. In 2024, WEC’s team supported a family with holiday gifts, a festive dinner, and necessities like groceries and gift cards. To learn more: veteransinc.org
The Cooperative Family Fund is a new nonprofit developed through the leadership of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in collaboration with National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. Its primary purpose is to create trust accounts for the children of parents who die while actively employed at an electric cooperative. It also creates memory books for families and provides resources to co-ops for supporting grieving families and colleagues. Fund materials state, “This support actively demonstrates the value our cooperative network places on cooperative families at the time of their greatest need.” To learn more: cooperativefamilyfund.com
WARMTH
All electric utilities in Vermont participate in the WARMTH emergency home heating assistance program. Vermont utility customers may contribute by rounding up their electric bill each month. The program is operated through local community action agencies. In WEC territory, that’s Capstone and Northeast Kingdom Community Action, or NEKCA.
To donate, initial the Operation Round-Up box on your electric bill to round up each bill to the next dollar and send the change to WARMTH. If you’d like to contribute more each month, write in the amount. If you bill through SmartHub or would prefer to call, contact Member Services to arrange your donation: 802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245.
Members can also donate directly to fuel assistance through their community action agencies: visit capstonevt.org or nekca.org.
Community Fund
All cooperatives share the principle Concern for Community. In recent years, communities served by WEC have faced some tough challenges. Some are weather-based, like repeated catastrophic flooding. Some are economic, like the fast-rising costs of goods and services in a rural state with a small tax base. Some communities face challenges that have a lot of different factors, like evolving local culture and values.
The small nonprofits that work within communities, and are run by staff and volunteers who live in those communities, are well-equipped to provide everyday resources to their neighbors, and to help respond to and navigate through challenging times. WEC members have the option to donate their capital credit refunds to the Community Fund. Through these voluntary member contributions, the Community Fund grants tens of thousands of dollars each year to small nonprofits that serve the communities in the Co-op’s service area. The application process is fast and easy, and when there is great and specific need, the Community Fund can quickly shift its giving focus.
Community Fund grants support some favorite seasonal programs in Central Vermont. This December, the Community Fund contributed to Toys for Tots and Vermont Foodbank, among others.
This year, consider donating your capital credits to the Community Fund. Clip and send in the form on this page, or call Dawn Johnson at 802-224-2332.
More Ways To Help
The Co-op’s list of Community Fund grantees is a good resource. Each organization on this list makes a difference right here in Central Vermont. See the most recent list of recipients in the August-September 2024 issue of Co-op Currents.
If You Need Help
- Call 211 to find any emergency resource you need: food, mental health, fuel, shelter, and anything else.
- If you need help paying your WEC bill, call Member Services: 802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245
- If you are in danger of running out of fuel, call the toll-free Emergency Fuel Assistance number: 1-800-479-6151
- For food, housing, weatherization, and other services, contact your local Community Action Agency: either Capstone (capstonevt.org) or Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA, nekca.org)