November 19, 2019
P.O. Box 8 40 Church Street
East Montpelier, VT 05651
Contact: Patty Richards, 802-223-5245
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.
E. Montpelier, Vt: On November 14, staff and volunteers from Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) Community Fund shopped for nearly $1,000 in food for the Stuff-A-Truck event to benefit Central Vermont families in need over the winter. The annual event raises food and funds for the Central Vermont Salvation Army Emergency Food Shelf in Berlin. It is sponsored by radio stations 107.1 Frank FM, Froggy 100.9 and 105.7 The Beat.
This year, the event aimed to fill a tractor-trailer with 18 tons of food – one ton for each year of the event. Located at the Midstate Dodge and Hyundai car dealership on the Barre-Montpelier Road, Stuff-A-Truck is the largest Salvation Army food drive in New England. Donations to the event fill the truck with nonperishable food to support Vermonters who use the food shelf. Food shelves around the state are seeing rising need.
“Nobody should have to worry about making sure their family has enough nutritious food to eat,” said WEC General Manager Patty Richards. “As a rural electric cooperative, we value reliable and safe power for our community, and also food on the table and a warm place to live. Our Community Fund has given to this event every year for over 15 years. Our staff and board personally shop for it. It’s one of my favorite events of the year.”
WEC’s Community Fund makes donations to support small nonprofits and community events in the electric cooperative’s service area. Money in the fund comes from members who choose to donate their share of refunds they receive as cooperative member-owners. In 2018, the fund donated $45,089 to 77 charitable causes in Central Vermont.
“Our Community Fund is growing thanks to the generosity of our members,” said Richards. “That means year after year, we can support this important cause that feeds our neighbors. I’m proud to participate in Stuff-A-Truck again this year.” Washington Electric Co-op is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility founded in 1939. WEC serves approximately 11,460 member-owners in 41 towns throughout Washington, Orange, Caledonia and Orleans counties with power