Electric Co-ops Distribute Hand Sanitizer: Video conference call sparks idea
A
ll of the NMRECA member electric cooperatives across the state and the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NMRECA) joined forces to purchase hand sanitizer from Boot Hill Distillery in Kansas and Tractor Brewing Company in Albuquerque during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hand sanitizer was distributed to first responders, healthcare workers, voting poll areas, courthouses, Roosevelt County and other essential industries, including Electric donates to electric cooperative employees. Roosevelt General During a manager’s video conference Hospital. meeting in March, at the height of COVID-19, electric cooperative managers who are members of NMRECA, discussed how scarce hand sanitizer had become in order to provide for employees. After the meeting, Travis Sullivan, general manager of Southwestern Electric Cooperative in Clayton, contacted his sister, who is in the healthcare industry, about locating hand sanitizer. She informed Sullivan about Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City, Kansas, Southwestern Electric who was making much-needed hand sanitizer. donates bottles of Sullivan contacted the distillery for details and hand sanitizer to Union then reached out to his fellow colleagues. Since County Manager Brandy that phone call to Sullivan’s sister, the electric Thompson. Brandy cooperatives have relayed hundreds of bottles distributed the bottles of hand sanitizer across New Mexico. to essential workers of Sullivan says when he distributed hand Union County. sanitizer to community organizations, “everyone was grateful, and several told me it was an answer to a prayer because they were unable to find hand sanitizer for their workforce.” “Generosity of co-ops is hard to measure at times, but it is very prevalent in the model of the cooperative organization. People in rural America can count on the cooperative family,” says Sullivan. Electric cooperatives across the country adhere to seven cooperative principles. Cooperative Principle 7: Concern for Community definitely applies to this community outreach of electric co-ops.
8
June 2020 • enchantment.coop
Boxes of hand sanitizer ready to be delivered to all the co-ops.
Chris Martinez of Columbus Electric, and Damon Marez of Otero County Electric with a box of hand sanitizer to distribute.
Farmers' Electric donates to the San Jon Volunteer Fire Department/EMS.
Lea County Electric donates to Lovington City Hall.
