Tragedy struck the small town of Sutherland Springs on November 5, 2017, when a gunman opened fire on the First Baptist Church, killing 26 men, women and children. Within hours of the shooting, thoughts, prayers and material support for the victims and their families poured in from across the country. Of course, the call to action was loudest for those closest to the catastrophe, including Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative.
GVEC employees sprang to action by contributing equipment to help power care stations for first responders and grieving families. In the weeks that followed, co-op employees donated $4,270, which GVEC matched dollar-for-dollar, to victims’ families. The $8,540 total went into an account to be distributed evenly among those affected.
“When we learned of the tragedy in the Sutherland Springs community, there was no question we needed to move to action,” says Darren Schauer, GVEC general manager and CEO.
