Hoosier Energy gives back with Community Impact Week

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Posted on Jun 26 2024 in A Co-op Perspective, Bartholomew County REMC, Clark County REMC, Daviess-Martin County REMC, Decatur County REMC, Dubois REC, Harrison REMC, Henry County REMC, Jackson County REMC, Orange County REMC, Southeastern Indiana REMC, Southern Indiana Power, WIN Energy REMC
Monroe County Community Kitchen’s Backpack Buddies
Monroe County Community Kitchen’s Backpack Buddies

Hoosier Hills Food Bank
Hoosier Hills Food Bank

Hoosier Energy held its second annual Community Impact Week this spring, which was bigger and better than the first.

Hoosier Energy employees’ participation increased by 11 percent, and they also saw increased opportunities to participate.

The week kicked off with Monroe County Community Kitchen’s Backpack Buddies, which distributes backpacks with food items for distribution to low-income children so they have meals over the weekend when school is not in session. It took just 90 minutes to prepare approximately 500 bags of food for the backpacks, an increase of 20 percent over 2023.

That was followed by the first-ever Community Impact Week event in Owen County at the Garrard Chapel Food Pantry, where a handful of employees helped pack approximately four pallets (160 boxes) of food on Tuesday, and others helped load those and other items on Wednesday. Volunteers also helped sort food in bins, break down cardboard boxes for recycling, and fill bags with applesauce and baby food.

Also on Wednesday, an eight-person team packed boxes for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and its mobile pantry, which delivers to some of the community’s most marginalized and needy. The team packed 241 boxes this year, surpassing the mark of 210 set last year.

On Thursday, Hoosier Energy employees participated in a build with Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, putting siding on a house alongside a Habitat team and one of the homeowners.

In addition, numerous employees chose opportunities independently, such as Chief Administrative Officer Chris Blunk, who participated in Top Chefs 2024, a fundraiser for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum.

Some Hoosier Energy employees also utilized a link provided by the American Red Cross to schedule a time and location to donate blood.

Things wrapped up on Friday with a week-long initiative at the Hoosier Energy Power Delivery Operations Center in Spencer and at Headquarters in Bloomington to Fill the Truck. Bags were stacked with food items, baby items, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items, with contributions given to Monroe County United Ministries and the Salvation Army.