As a member of FreeState Electric Cooperative, you will be sent this e-newsletter each month that provides important information, announcements, and news that may impact your account or service.

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December 2020
Important Notice
FreeState offices will be CLOSED on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 so our employees can celebrate the Christmas holiday. We will also be closed on Friday, January 1, 2021. We wish all our members a joyous and safe holiday season!

If you experience an outage, please call 800-794-1989 or utilize the SmartHub mobile app.
Hello!
Here are a few helpful links
There Is Much To Be Thankful For This Year.

Thank you to so many who made this year continue on.

It’s the time of year we often spend reflecting on the events of the past year. We have so many thank you notes to pass along after one of the most challenging years we’ve faced. As happy as some will be to see 2020 go, it’s crucial in the face of adversity to remember what we are grateful for and to see the silver lining in the situations we find ourselves in.

Thank you to those who put the health and well-being of those we love, our friends, co-workers and neighbors first. Those who kept us well and those who rose to the challenge and helped when they could. Thank you to all the front-line workers, many who are members, who continue to help others and provide essential goods and services for our communities. We couldn’t have done 2020 without you. You took care of neighbors, you reached out, and you came together as communities. Know that you are appreciated beyond measure.

Thank you to those who protect our communities. The police officers, firefighters and first responders who work so hard to keep us safe. We can’t forget those serving our country who may not be with family or loved ones this holiday season. We are grateful for the opportunity to help community organizations who provide needed assistance in a time of uncertainty and to the members who make it possible through their generosity and participation in the Operation Round-Up® program. We thank those who participate and volunteer their time and talents to make the program a success.

Thank you to our line crews and employees who went above and beyond to maintain safe working conditions to continue our mission of serving our members. We have an incredible staff here at FreeState, but we are more than just cooperative employees. We’re family members, moms, dads and siblings. We’re sons and daughters, and maybe even grandparents. We work within our communities. We’re finding innovative ways to not only serve members but lead 4-H and scouting groups, teach Sunday school and volunteer our time.

At FreeState, we are reminded why we do what we do when we interact with members. We appreciate each of you, who continually trust us to provide one of the necessities of modern life. We thank you for your patience, your concern, your positive thoughts, and your feedback.

It makes us strive to be better.
At publication (minus December 2020 grants) the charitable giving program has donated $245,192 in spare change to local organizations since inception of the program.



The FreeState Community Foundation facilitates the program with the help of a volunteer member committee that reviews and awards grant funds quarterly.

The volunteer committee members are:
  • Brad Parker, Silver Lake
  • Melinda Harwood, McLouth
  • Morgan Starcher (Murrfield Farms), McLouth
  • Deron Johnson, Silver Lake
  • Carol Marple, Wakarusa


For more information on how to apply for funding, visit www.freestate.coop/ORU. Applications can be completed online.

APPLICATION DEADLINES ARE: MARCH 1, JUNE 1, SEPTEMBER 1 AND DECEMBER 1 of each calendar year.


Please notify our billing department if you’d like to opt out (or in) to Operation Round-Up® by calling 800-794-1989.  
The Power of Giving Back 

The cooperative’s charitable giving program, Operation Round-Up® has provided funding to 13 organizations so far in 2020 totaling $50,300 proving that spare change can make a big impact in local communities. 

The Operation Round-Up® program has been providing funding since 2017 through members rounding up their monthly bill. That spare change has made a significant impact to area communities. 
The committee allocations are all made possible by the generosity of members participating in the program. No matter how great or small the act, every time we give back, we strengthen our community. It only takes a few coins a month to add up to a significant change for our local communities and volunteer-driven organizations across the FreeState service territory. 
This update includes funding provided through Dec. 1. A complete listing of grants will be published in the 2020 annual report, available each April. A complete list is also available online. The following organizations and their specific projects were funded in 2020.

Brothers in Blue Reentry — $5,000
Funding provided for direct assistance specifically toward the COVID-19 Alumni Emergency Response Fund facilitated by Brothers in Blue. The project provides emergency funding for program participants who have been furloughed from jobs and do not have sufficient work history to collect unemployment benefits, and those who have been recently released and are unable to obtain employment. The project is directly related to the overall mission of transformational hope and helping promote success beyond time served and building a solid support system to transition to life outside incarceration. 

Capper Foundation — $4,300
The foundation purchased a specialized adapted activity chair used during feeding therapy for children who need more support to eat safely. The chair will be used to assist in customizing supports to position children into the correct posture and alignment needed to safely swallow food. The design of the chair also allows staff to properly assist in a variety of ways as children develop feeding skills. The chair will also assist in training parents on the importance of proper positioning and safe feeding practices. 

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) — $5,000
CCNEK provides a stabilization service program that aids with housing and utilities to prevent eviction and disconnection of utilities and assist with restoration of utility services. The organization has set up a specific program for Leavenworth County that saw an 8% increase in individuals assisted in one year. 
It should be noted that CCNEK assisted FreeState Electric Cooperative members directly through the COVID Assistance Program (CAP). The committee allocated $9,300 toward a partnership that assisted FreeState members with bill relief during the global pandemic. Qualifying members were assisted with up to $400 to alleviate the stress of paying an electric bill while being directly impacted by contracting the coronavirus or losing a job or income due to the statewide shutdown. CAP assisted 24 families during a time of great uncertainty. 

City of Auburn — $2,500
The City of Auburn was granted funds to add a park bench, garden swing and trash can to the city’s newly renovated park.

Delia PRIDE — $2,000
The Delia Community PRIDE funding will go toward temporary repair to a large section of flat roof on the former Delia Grade School that now serves as a community center. This facility is essential for a community that has no Main Street businesses, no school and no post office.

Doorstep Inc. — $2,500
The Topeka-based organization provides direct assistance to those in need. Funding provided will go toward rent and utilities specifically in rural areas to keep utilities connected. In addition, funding can be utilized to assist with portions of rent to keep those in need housed. 

Jayhawk Area Council Boy Scouts — $2,500
The Boy Scout organization was granted funding to replace the commercial dishwasher at their council camp near Perry.

Lecompton Fire — $5,500
Funding was granted to the Lecompton Fire Department to obtain thermal imaging cameras (TIC). The cameras are considered essential equipment for fire departments. A TIC detects infrared radiation as visible light, allowing firefighters to see through smoke, darkness or heat-permeable barriers. The department was able to purchase one camera to add to their resources and will continue to provide services related to public safety. 

McLouth Public Library — $3,500
The library sought funding to repair and replace items used by patrons at the library. The library provided a list of items to replace, and some items to repair. 

Perry UMC — $1,000
The Blessing Box project provided food or personal items around the clock for the area around Perry, specifically serving the USD 343 area. 

Shawnee Fire District No. 2 in Auburn — $7,500
The department was granted funding to outfit one brush truck with a system used specifically to fight wildfires. The funding also allowed the department to meet the obligations set forth in the development of the Wildland Task Force, which made department trucks deployable anywhere in the state at any time to support wildland fire fighting operations.

Suicide HQ — $4,000
Kansas Suicide Prevention Headquarters sought funding to train volunteer counselors through the organization’s 10-week training program. The training program is a rigorous, 100-hour program that includes online training, homework, and observation shifts. To accommodate more callers as the need has increased significantly, the organization has doubled the number of training classes from three to six and runs two classes of counselors concurrently three times a year.

Valencia Fire (SNCO No. 4) — $5,000
The department requested funding to purchase a water rescue boat that will assist in local emergencies and provide mutual aid to neighboring counties. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative does not participate in the Cold Weather Rule established by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), a rule which restricts electric disconnects from Nov. 1 through March 31, when temperature forecasts are 35 degrees or below. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative is not mandated by this policy and has been responsible for establishing its own appropriate seasonal rules since 1996. 
All accounts are subject to disconnection for nonpayment and are not governed by temperature. 
If you have any questions about FreeState’s seasonal rules or billing options, please call our office at 800-794-1989. Assistance agencies are listed on the FEC website for your convenience.
FreeState invests in our youth with opportunities designed to reflect the realities of our society and its preference for dynamic, personal interactions. In today’s professional world, employers and thought leaders want to see presenters who make a connection with the audience, while communicating their message. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp experiences are all-expenses-paid and will truly be experiences of a lifetime for area youth. One student will be sponsored for each opportunity. Any high school junior living in the FreeState territory with a parent or guardian who is a member of the cooperative is eligible. Deadline for the 2021 program is Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. 
For more information or to apply online, visit www.freestate.coop/youth or call the office at 800-794-1989. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative, Inc., is not subject to the jurisdiction, regulation, supervision and control of the Kansas Corporation Commission, except as specified in K.S.A. 66-104d(f). 
Privacy Policy 
FreeState is a consumer-owned and consumer-controlled electric cooperative. FreeState operates on a not-for-profit basis for the benefit of its member-consumers. Accordingly, the Board has adopted this Policy on Privacy of Member-Consumer Information to establish fair information principles for FreeState in carrying out its responsibility to respect the privacy of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.

Notice: FreeState publicly discloses its policies and practices for the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.   
         
Statement of Non-Discrimination
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
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