Spirit of Community

For more than ten years the employees at Central Electric Power Cooperative have committed to helping a local community agency. Starting in 2001, employees began sponsoring an employee auction to raise funds to help the organization. The Special Learning Center is an organization that was founded on the principles of helping children with learning disabilities. They provide all types of specialized services to individual families located in throughout the mid-Missouri area.

Services provided by the Special Learning Center include- special education, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy at no cost to the families that need the support. The organization relies heavily on the community for financial help and Central’s employees have recognized the need and they have risen to the task. Support for such a wonderful community based organization form our employees is fantastic.

Central’s employee group started off with a small function that has morphed into a collective planned activity that now typically raises funds in the area of $5,000 a year. The annual employee auction was a great success again in 2012. In addition, Central was very fortunate to receive an additional $1,000 contribution from Co-Bank putting Central’s overall contribution above the $5,000 mark.

Not only did the employees host a fundraiser to assist the organization, they also invited the students in for some other activities as well. In 2012 Central’s employees hosted a Halloween trick-or-treat activity and a Christmas caroling opportunity complete with a visit from Santa Clause and some gifts. Bringing the students to the cooperative provides the employees an opportunity for some great one-on-one and group interaction with the students. Employees and students of the Special Learning Center truly enjoy the time.

“The demonstrated commitment to community is what cooperatives are all about and we truly have a dedicated staff that fully understands this part of our mission,” said Donald W. Shaw, CEO/General Manager at Central Electric.

But the giving doesn’t stop there. Central Electric is in its third year of working with the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Agency, and raised $1,300 for that group.

“Central’s employees have recognized the need and they have risen to the task,” Shaw said. “Support for such a wonderful community-based organization form our employees is fantastic.”