News > Co-op Employees Volunteer with Local Organizations Through ‘My Co-op Cares’ Program

Co-op Employees Volunteer with Local Organizations Through ‘My Co-op Cares’ Program

July 31, 2023

In June, two groups of Stearns Electric Association employees volunteered in local communities as part of the Cooperative’s ‘My Co-op Cares’ program.

Twelve employees volunteered through Central MN Habitat for Humanity on June 13, helping construct a home for a family in need. This specific Habitat for Humanity home is located within Stearns Electric’s service territory and will be served in the future with electricity distributed by the Cooperative.

On June 14, another nine volunteers worked to help the Central Minnesota Salvation Army with landscaping and property beautification.

The ‘My Co-op Cares’ program allows Cooperative employees time to volunteer during working hours to help communities within our service territory. Three times per year, Stearns Electric sends teams of employees out to local organizations and charitable causes to share their time and talents with others.

“We have to practice what we preach. ‘Community Focused’ is part of our tagline and it’s important that we follow through,” Michelle Christiansen, Stearns Electric employee volunteer, said.

“Our ‘My Co-op Cares’ program is our way to lead by example in our community,” James Pachan, employee volunteer, added.

In just a few hours, these Cooperative volunteer teams accomplished the tasks at hand, relieving some of the work on these organizations’ to-do lists.

“Without Stearns Electric’s team, I do believe we would have been struggling to meet deadlines,” Salvation Army’s Laura Douvier explained. “The volunteer team on-site was amazing to work with. Very detailed and very kind.”

“The Stearns Electric volunteer team got a lot of work completed that we needed done on-site. That really benefited our project and helped us move forward with the build,” Ashley Ogaja, Habitat for Humanity, said. “They went above and beyond and were willing to help with everything.”

In addition to serving our area communities, volunteering through the ‘My Co-op Cares’ program allows employees to work together alongside co-workers that they might not get to interact with daily.

Employees shared their favorite parts of volunteering through the program:

• “Working with people you don’t typically get to see or talk to and building those relationships is the best part of My Co-op Cares.”
• “It is fun to see a team of employees that are not used to working together pull together for each event and project.”
• “When you get to see your peers in a different atmosphere than their normal duties, you see them shine in ways you didn’t realize!”
• “Since I work alone most of the time, these events give me a chance to get to know my co-workers better.”

“I am just absolutely amazed at what your Stearns Electric team does for the community,” Douvier concluded. “Keep up the great work.”

Visit our Facebook page to view more photos from the day. To learn more about the Cooperative’s commitment to community and other community outreach programs, visit www.stearnselectric.org/community.