Lake Region Electric Cooperative
Our linemen work in all conditions to keep your lights on. When this winter’s ice storm left many in our area without power this December, our crews were quick to respond and didn’t stop working until power was restored for each and every member. As storms inevitably strike our area, we are thankful for your patience as we work as quickly as possible to fix any outages.
Being without power, even if only for a brief period, is a reminder of just how important electricity is and the many ways we rely on electricity every day. While safe, reliable electricity is something we have learned to count on here in Minnesota, that is not the case for many people around the world.
This December three of our linemen had a unique opportunity to help bring electricity to the people of Haiti. They spent three weeks away from their families to bring the gift of light to an impoverished region in northern Haiti. It is an incredible feeling for our co-op in Minnesota to be able to help people living thousands of miles away.
By traveling to Haiti, our linemen were able to directly assist the people there and improve their quality of life. Many areas in Haiti still lack the basic electric infrastructure that we take for granted here. The nation is also still in the process of recovering from the devastation caused by the 2010 earthquake that destroyed a substantial portion of the nation’s electric grid. With a national poverty rate well over 50 percent, the Haitian people continue to struggle to rebuild and improve outdated infrastructure.
LREC’s linemen joined Haitian crews to construct a large three-phase project serving a primarily residential area. When I think about how these linemen were willing to volunteer their skills to help others, I am reminded of the same spirit that was evident when the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) brought power to rural Minnesota 80 years ago. This tremendous undertaking lessened the workload and improved the quality of life for families during that time. In a similar way, we are now presented with the opportunity to help the people of Haiti.
The linemen traveled to Haiti through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) International Program which covered the costs associated with airfare and accommodations. Founded over 50 years ago, the program continues to grow and expand into new countries helping governments and their citizens bring electricity to rural places, leading to improvements in education, healthcare, safety, and economic opportunity. To date, over 120 million people across the globe have benefited from NRECA’s International Program.
Although this was Lake Region’s first time participating in the international program, in the past we have sent crews to help out after natural disasters struck in Louisiana, New York, and Kentucky. I am proud of the employees we have who are willing to go and serve where there is a need. It is a privilege to have these same people working hard here at home to make sure our own families and communities have power.
All of this was possible because of the incredible support from cooperative employees and LREC’s Board of Directors. Our employees came together and generously donated some of their personal vacation time so the linemen spending three weeks in Haiti wouldn’t need to use their own vacation time. Our cooperative also sent coloring books and flashlights with the linemen so they could distribute these gifts to children in a village near the area where they were working.
Being able to help on an international level was a life-changing experience for the three linemen who went to Haiti. Hearing their stories is a reminder of how fortunate we are in our country and how important electricity is in our daily lives. Whether it’s restoring power after an outage here at home or helping to bring electricity to another nation, the cooperative spirit motivates us all to help where we see an opportunity to better the lives of those around us.
I also want to take a moment to thank those of you who attended our recent district meetings. I appreciate the grassroots process of these meetings and the opportunity they provide to directly interact with members. Thank you for taking an active role in your cooperative.
