When you think of October, crisp mornings, the changing color of the leaves, and, if you’re a sports fan, football might naturally come to mind. 

But October is notable for another reason. It is National Cooperative Month. During this month, your cooperative, along with others across the country, celebrate who we are and, more importantly, the member-consumers we serve. 

Kankakee Valley REMC was built by our member-consumers 80 years ago to bring electricity to our rural community. Today, the REMC still works for the common good of our community. We exist to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy for you. Equally important, though, is our mission of enriching and improving the quality of life for our member-consumers and the community we serve. 

As a co-op, we are well-suited to meet the community’s needs because we are locally governed. Your elected board of directors and employee team are your neighbors. We are connected to the community in which we live. As a result, we get a firsthand perspective on local priorities and needs of our member-consumers. 

A core cooperative principle, “Concern for Community,” is just one of Kankakee Valley REMC’s unique attributes. We partner with local organizations that share our concerns, whether through financial contributions or the volunteer efforts of our employees. Every time we give back, we strengthen the community. 

Our member-consumers help us give back too. Through the Operation Round Up program, member-consumers round up their electric bills to the next dollar. The extra change helps non-profit organizations meet local needs. Since Kankakee Valley REMC introduced Operation Round Up in 2000, member-consumers have helped us give over $1 million back to the community. 

We understand that many of you think of Kankakee Valley REMC as just your electric company. When you flip a switch at your home and the lights come on you have us to thank. But we are so much more than your electric provider. We are a local business that supports the community and the prosperity of all its residents. 

The co-op leadership team is committed to staying involved in the community because your electric co-op was built by the community, for the community.