By Ron Raypole

The holidays are a time of year many of us eagerly anticipate. The season is marked by special foods, seasonal decorations and lots of festivities. 

We cherish carrying on old family traditions and enjoy creating new ones. For me personally, I look forward to more time spent with family and friends. 

However, given the hustle and bustle of the season, the holidays can also offer an opportunity to slow down and reflect. For all of us at Noble REMC, we are grateful for you, the members of the co-op. 

You see, one of our founding principles as a co-op is “Concern for Community.” While our main focus is providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, we want to give back. We want to help our community thrive.

Reflection

In looking back at this past year, I’m grateful we were able to make a positive impact in the community through programs such as Indiana Electric Cooperatives’ Community Day and Operation Round Up, where, thanks to your contributions, we donated more than $44,000 to local nonprofits and their projects.

We were also grateful for the opportunity to partner with local schools to raise awareness of electrical safety. This year, we provided 11 safety demonstrations to around 600 students.

In fact, we continue to work closely with our local high schools to award college scholarships. In 2019, we awarded three $1,000 scholarships to local seniors, all of whom were from Central Noble. (This is the first time three students from the same school received the award!)

There are other ways we can help the community, whether we’re providing information about our community solar program, Co-op Solar; presenting high voltage demonstrations to first responders and emergency personnel; or helping you find ways to save energy at home. We want you to know we’re here to help. 

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to 2020, we hope you will share your opinions with us. We recognize that our members have a valuable perspective, and that’s why we continually seek your input. Whether through community events, our social media channels or the annual meeting, we want to hear from you. We are led by you — the members of the co-op — and we depend on your feedback.

As we prepare for next year, we look forward to serving you and the greater community. On behalf of the Noble REMC family, we hope your holidays are indeed merry and bright!