The holidays are a time of year that many of us eagerly anticipate. The season is marked by special food, seasonal decorations and lots of festivities. Right here in the Rio Grande Valley, we look forward to the annual holiday parades and events across our cities.
We cherish carrying on old family traditions and enjoy creating new ones. Personally, I look forward to more time spent with family and friends.
However, given the hustle and bustle of the season, the holidays can also offer an opportunity to slow down and reflect. For all of us at Magic Valley Electric Cooperative, we are grateful for you, the members of MVEC.
You see, one of our founding principles as a co-op is “Concern for Community.” While our main focus is providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, we want to give back. We want to help our community thrive.
Reflection
In looking back at this past year, I’m grateful that we were able to make a positive impact in the community. Through programs such as the Magic Valley Employee Community Fund and CoBank’s Sharing Success Program, Magic Valley employees raised over $20,000 through fundraising activities at the Cooperative and received a matching grant of $7,500 from CoBank’s Program. As a result of these fundraising efforts and generosity, we were able to help four local non-profit organizations. The RGV Down Syndrome Association, Children’s Bereavement Center of the RGV, CASA of Hidalgo County and CASA of Cameron and Willacy Counties received these funds and were able to make a positive impact on many families across the Valley.
We were also grateful for the opportunity to partner with local high schools to award college scholarships. In 2019, we awarded seven $15,000 scholarships totaling over $100,000 to local scholars. In 2019, we also sent four local RGV students to participate in the Youth Tour Program taking place in Washington D.C.
There are other approaches we use to contribute to the community. Whether we’re providing information on ways to save energy at home or alerting you against scammers who may be trying to take your money, we want you to know we’re here to help.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead to 2020, we hope you will share your opinions with us. We recognize that our members have a valuable perspective, and that’s why we continually seek your input. Whether through community events, our social media channels, the annual meeting or our MVEC member survey, we want to hear from you. We are led by you–the members of the co-op–and we depend on your feedback.
As we prepare for next year, we look forward to the opportunity to serve you and the greater community. On behalf of the Magic Valley family, we hope your holidays are indeed merry and bright!
