Every October, cooperatives from all sectors across the country celebrate National Cooperative Month. The purpose of this annual celebration is to recognize the cooperative difference and remind you, the members of our co-op, about Medina Electric Cooperative’s purpose.
I must admit that occasionally, I have been somewhat cynical of PR “holidays” that fill up social media, but National Cooperative Month has a genuinely special purpose that’s near and dear to me.
This month is all about celebrating co-ops’ unique business model, based on the Seven Cooperative Principles: Voluntary and Open Membership; Democratic Member Control; Members’ Economic Participation; Autonomy and Independence; Education, Training and Information; Cooperation Among Cooperatives; and Concern for Community.
In the U.S., there are more than 30,000 co-ops in many industries. These diverse yet connected businesses join together this month to educate members—and nonmembers—about the community of cooperatives.
There are more co-ops in our local community than most people realize. Co-ops are even represented on the shelves at our local grocery stores, such as Land O’Lakes, Welch’s, Organic Valley, Cabot Creamery, Sunkist, Ocean Spray and many more.
In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 350 million people belong to a co-op in the U.S. alone, and co-ops employ more than 2 million Americans and generate more than $700 billion in annual revenue.
For co-op employees and members who are familiar with the principles, the month of October is a great opportunity to renew our connection to each other and the purpose of our co-op.
Medina EC’s core purpose is to provide safe and reliable electricity to our more than 21,000 members. We are owned by our members who then elect our nine-person board of directors who oversee the operating policies for the cooperative. The cooperative difference doesn’t stop there. We also offer many programs and services our members can take advantage of such as scholarships and the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. As a cooperative, we place a high importance on supporting the communities we serve.
We are proud to provide safety demonstrations for the public, participate in career days at schools, give back with monetary donations and grants, donate retired vehicles for volunteer fire departments and provide community support with employee volunteer time. Medina EC is continually working to make a difference for our members and our communities.
The Seven Cooperative Principles speak to the heart of why we must take every opportunity to celebrate and teach others about the cooperative business model.
You can plan your own co-op celebration by purchasing products provided by co-ops, do business with other co-ops right here in our service area and be an active member of Medina EC.
Until next time,
Trey Grebe
