Gibson EMC, TVA and CoBank Partner to Support Local Food Banks

Trenton, Tenn. – Gibson Electric Membership Corporation in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority and CoBank will contribute a total of $45,000 over the months of April, May, June and July to the food banks that serve Gibson EMC’s members and communities. Already, Gibson EMC has donated $20,000 to our local foodbanks.  TVA has agreed to contribute $15,000 and CoBank has agreed to contribute $10,000.

“One of the unexpected blessings of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an outpouring of goodwill,” says Dan Rodamaker, Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect President and CEO.  “During this time Gibson EMC sought out opportunities to serve.  And after speaking with our local leaders about the needs within our communities, we were encouraged to work with our local food banks.”

“We have been thrilled and very thankful that both TVA, our wholesale power supplier, and CoBank, a national cooperative bank that annually provides ‘Sharing Success’ grants to improve the quality of life for our communities, shared our vision for meeting the critical need of food during the pandemic,” Rodamaker said.

The donations will be distributed among more than a dozen food banks, with donation amounts based on the number of Gibson EMC members in each of the areas.

“We are strong because we care about the people around us,” Rodamaker continued.  “Regardless of the challenges we face, we can be confident that the people of Northwestern Tennessee and Western Kentucky will find ways to adapt, demonstrate compassion and, above all, power on,” he said.

Gibson EMC is a local, not-for-profit, member-owned and member-controlled electric cooperative serving almost 39,000 homes and businesses in eight west Tennessee counties (Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Lake, Obion, Madison and Weakley) and four west Kentucky counties (Carlisle, Fulton, Graves and Hickman).  Gibson Connect is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of Gibson EMC, working to provide high-speed, fiber-based broadband service access to all of the cooperative’s eligible members.

Volunteers distribute food through a mobile food pantry in Alamo, Tennessee on Saturday, June 6.