Dear new MVEC member Your cooperative is committed to community

to your new electric utility -

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative

Email 4 of 4: Our Commitment to Community

We have principles - 7 to be exact!

Cooperatives around the world have operated according to the same set of core principles since 1844. These principles are a key reason that America’s electric cooperatives operate differently from other electric utilities, putting the needs of their members first. These principles include:

Open & Voluntary Membership, Democratic Member Control, Members’ Economic Participation, Autonomy & Independence, Education, Training, & Information, Cooperation Among Cooperatives, and the one we'd like to talk about today: Concern for Community.

Giving back pennies a month

By rounding up your monthly electric bill, you are contributing to our charitable trust program Operation RoundUp. Combined with the extra change from other MVEC members, Operation RoundUp gives quarterly donations to local fire departments, health care agencies, youth and animal programs, and food shelves all across MVEC's service area - organizations that make a big impact in your local community. Learn more

Scholarships

Each year, the co-op awards $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors through a random drawing. There is also a $1,000 to $3,000 scholarship for those entering the field of line work.

Learn more

There is also an opportunity for high school sophomores and juniors to travel to Washington, D.C. to learn more about electric cooperatives and the U.S. government.

Education for all ages

The 5th Cooperative Principle is Education, Training & Information. The MVEC team is available for:

We also have a video library that covers many other topics.

Doing our part

The majority of MVEC Team Members live in or near the communities we serve. Team members volunteer time and talents to local organizations in many ways - staffing food shelves, serving on fire departments, coaching youth sports, being involved in their places of worship, serving on committees and community service boards, and more. As a cooperative, we clean a section of Marystown Road, provide in-kind service to local ballfields and county fairs, and donate goods to local nursing homes and community causes. If you see a Team Member walking or driving a vehicle in a town celebration, be sure to give us a wave!

This concludes our series of welcome emails.

If you have any questions about the programs and benefits of co-op membership, please contact us.

Again, welcome to the co-op!

Learn More About MVEC

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative

952.492.2313 or 800.282.6832 | info@mvec.net | www.mvec.net