Carolina Adventures

Haywood EMC Celebrated Lineworker Appreciation Day

Each year, Haywood EMC joins other electric cooperatives across our state and nation to celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day. Held annually in North Carolina on the second Monday in April, this day recognizes lineworkers’ critical role in providing our member-owners with the power they depend on every day.

Our lineworkers undergo extensive training and follow numerous protocols to ensure safety as they work to maintain our lines and restore power, often in very treacherous conditions. The current pandemic added another layer of precaution to an already demanding job, but Haywood EMC’s lineworkers rose to the challenge and demonstrated an exceptional level of skill, dedication and expertise.

In addition to serving their own communities, lineworkers are also called on to provide aid across the state and nation following major storms and other times of need. This commitment to “cooperation among cooperatives” is one of the core principles that demonstrates the true strength and character of the cooperative network.

We are thankful throughout each year for our lineworkers’ many outstanding efforts!

Here are a few of the ways we continued to support our member-owners and community:

In partnership with the United Way, HEMC supported member-owners experiencing hardship after August 2021 floods. HEMC contributed additional support and resources to volunteer fire departments that worked with our member-owners and crews during the long cleanup and recovery from the August 2021 floods. HEMC continued to offer bill payment support to member-owners experiencing financial hardships through our Project HEMC (Helping Each Member Cope). As a benefit to our memberowners, especially those that were affected by August’s floods and/or COVID-19, the Haywood EMC Board of Directors approved a retirement/refund of more than $1 million for the third year in a row. These retirement/refunds were for those who were memberowners during the years 1981–2015.