ANNUAL REPORT
2023/2024
Aiding the children of fallen electric cooperative employees is our passion. Actions, combined with the support of the cooperative family, are what makes our efforts successful.
A word from our President
TONY ANDERSON
We are pleased to present the first annual report for the Cooperative Family Fund. This 501(c)3 non-profit began a short time ago in December of 2022. Since this time, our nationwide cooperative family has lost 30 employees in 17 states that have left behind 64 kids ranging in age from 4 months to 17 years. These are numbers that have never been tracked in our industry … until now.
Our nationwide cooperative family has donated more than $1 million dollars since our beginning. We have been able to invest $10,000 for each of the 61 kids. Three of the kids have since turned 18 and received a check to help them begin their adult years.
We have to continue to raise money to serve the cooperative children who will need us in the future. Everyone should know
that this effort is run entirely by a board of seven volunteers.
We have zero employees and no paid contractors. Since the fund has gotten off the ground, donated dollars have only been spent on a booth at PowerXchange, a nationwide mailing, insurance premiums and credit card fees. At this time, 98% of the funds donated are going to cooperative children in need.
While the need for this program is certainly sad, it is truly heartwarming to see and feel the response of our nationwide cooperative family. We have made progress and are positioned for continued success. We look forward to working together with all of you in the future.
Pictured: Tony Anderson and his little brother, Jon, from the BBBS program. “This project is absolutely the right thing to do. It has been a team effort of people from across the country that I am proud of. The money will never replace a parent, but the survivors will know that people care. THAT is how WE make the world just a small bit better. To everyone who has helped and supported this effort and to everyone who will in the future ... you have my humble and heartfelt thanks.”
Mission
To strengthen the bonds of cooperative families by helping cooperative employees and their children deal with grief and the loss of a loved one.
This support actively demonstrates the value our cooperative network places on cooperative families at the time of their greatest need.
“Thank you to the Cooperative Family Fund for this amazing gift, and thank you so much for helping us support the Patton family and exemplifying the Cooperative way. The work you’re doing makes such a difference.
Our work so far
Alaska
Homer EC
Arkansas Arkansas EC
Colorado San Isabel EC
Georgia GA Right of Way
Amicalola EMC
Idaho Fall River EC
Indiana South Central Indiana REMC
Iowa Allamakee Clayton EC
Butler County EC
Michigan Great Lakes Energy
Missouri Laclede EC
United EC
Mississippi East Mississippi EPA
North Carolina
French Broad EMC
Rutherford EMC
North Carolina Statewide
North Dakota
I.E.A. EC
Ohio
Consolidated EC (two separate losses)
Oklahoma Northeast EC
Oklahoma EC KAMO Power
South Carolina Black River EC
Tennessee
Appalachian EC Middle Tenn EC
Texas
Grayson Collin EC Lyntegar EC
Navasota Valley EC
Bandera EC
Farmers EC
Each heart stands for one child who was left behind by a parent who worked for the cooperative listed. We were able to help each of these children because of our donors and volunteers.
Board of Directors
Our board of directors is comprised of seven cooperative employees from across the country who hold regular online board meetings.
TONY
Why we keep going
Don and the girls all held the book very tightly to their chest as they cried. Don kept rubbing the book cover and tracing the outline of Kolleen’s face. Don was very grateful, and Steph said he thanked her at least a dozen times. He was so grateful to have the photos together in a book and said the book layout was beautiful. He asked Steph for several hugs, which she gave to him as requested. Steph told me to pass on to you that she hugged him hard enough for all of us. He said she was such a beautiful person inside and out, and this book reflects her beauty and he will cherish it forever and read every word of it. Stephanie prayed with him.
In a time where we were grieving as a staff, we also felt sort of helpless as we wanted to help Luke’s family, but just didn’t know exactly how. This has given us some purpose and has actually helped in the grieving process for us. So, we’re very appreciative.
The Luke Hackman family was the first to receive support from the Cooperative Family Fund. Luke, a loving husband to his wife Brandi and father to kids Hadley (6) and Lincoln (5), passed away in a car accident that happened while the family was on their way to meet Santa in November 2022.
When you work for a co-op, you’re part of a family. As a family, we support each other in times of need and loss. We all rise by lifting others. A sincere thank you to all who support this mission.
