How Pocket Change Can Change the Community (and the Co-op)

Cooperatives are special because they are owned by the consumers they serve and guided by a set of seven principles that reflect the best interest of those consumers. Two of those principles are having concern for the community and education, training and information. Mountain Electric Cooperative is exemplifying both principles through their Operation Pocket Change (OPC) program.

OPC is a voluntary round-up program that helps local organizations and members during difficult times through the generosity of the co-op. Members can choose to round up their monthly electric bills to the next whole dollar amount. The extra pocket change flows into a special fund that is managed by a board of volunteer members who have a desire to help the service area. To date, more than $2 million has been provided to the community as a result. A quarter of those contributions are designated for scholarships. This fall MEC awarded 43 $1,000 scholarships and one of the recipients is currently attending lineman school.

Another way MEC serves the youth in the community is through their annual career day.

“The high school students take a field trip to our facilities where they climb poles, take bucket truck rides, operate equipment and talk to our employees about what an average day at MEC is like,” said Sally Snyder, MEC’s director of member services.

Logan Barnett received the OPC scholarship, attended the annual career day and is now in MEC’s apprenticeship program.

“Operation Pocket Change helped me get to the dream job I have today,” Barnett said. “I don’t know if I’d been able to do it without it!”

Over the years, more than ten of MEC’s current employees received this scholarship or attended the cooperative’s annual career day.

“It has been amazing to see the amount of employees we have now that attended as a high school student,” Snyder said. “I absolutely love this program and how much it has changed our communities with just a small amount of pocket change.”