Georgia Magazine - November 2022 - 15

SHORTTakes
Good citizenship: Amicalola Electric
Membership Corp. (EMC) in Jasper
was the first Georgia cooperative to
earn a 5-Star rating for the Co-ops Vote
initiative for the 2021-22 election cycle.
Co-ops Vote is a nonpartisan politicalengagement
effort that aims to ensure
that co-op members' voices are heard in
local, state and federal elections. It is coordinated
by the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association in Arlington,
Va. Amicalola EMC earned the rating
through its efforts, which included an employee-engagement event, a Co-ops
Vote link on the EMC website, a message to all employees from the CEO and the
distribution of get-out-the-vote materials at its annual meeting for members.
John Freeman of Jeff erson Energy Cooperative
demonstrates how to climb a utility pole at
Burke County High School's new training lab.
Jefferson Energy,
Planters EMC
collaborate on
climbing lab
J
efferson Energy Cooperative in Wrens and
Planters Electric Membership Corp. (EMC)
in Millen worked together this year to create
a pole-climbing training lab at Burke County High
School in Waynesboro.
The cooperatives built the outdoor climbing
lab at the request of the school's technology
instructor, Mark Flowers, who wanted to give
students opportunities to learn about work as
linemen as well as jobs in agricultural fields. The
goal of the hands-on lab is to prepare students to
enter lineman school after high school graduation.
The learning lab is the first of its kind at a high
school in the Central Savannah River Area.
On Aug. 29 linemen from both EMCs visited
the school and demonstrated how to climb a
utility pole. They also talked about safety gear
and procedures, education, experience and more
with the students.
Crews from three local news outlets attended
the media day and covered the story about the
educational lab.
Flower power: Walton EMC in Monroe hosted a floral-arrangement class for
women from the Walton Senior Center in Monroe on Sept. 13. Local florist Dean
Pannell coached the group on how to make a fall arrangement.
Feeding the hungry: The Central Georgia EMC Foundation in Jackson recently
awarded $5,000 grants to two local food pantries: Helping in His Name Ministries
Food Pantry in Stockbridge and Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry in Griffin.
The funds came from Operation Round Up, in which members opt to round their
monthly bills to the nearest dollar and the difference goes into a fund that
supports charitable causes in the community.
At their service: Habersham EMC in
Clarkesville was a sponsor of the 15th
annual Big Sid's Low Country Boil/Joint
Business After Hours event on Sept. 22
at Roland's on the River in Demorest. The
event brings together business and community
leaders from the Habersham and
White counties chambers of commerce.
Employees from Habersham EMC and
co-sponsor Georgia Power prepare and
serve the low country boil every year.
Sharing the love: Staff at Okefenoke Rural EMC in Nahunta prepared meals
to serve to the co-op's line crews as well as to crews from elsewhere in Georgia,
Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas that responded to help with the aftermath from
Hurricane Ian in late September. However, when the area was mostly spared, the
crews were able to leave early to assist elsewhere in the region, and there were
sandwiches to spare. Okefenoke employees delivered the unused sandwiches
to the Salvation Army of Brunswick shelter.
www.georgiamagazine.org
15
TAMIKA LAMPKIN / JEFFERSON ENERGY COOPERATIVE
COURTESY AMICALOLA EMC
MARY BETH HORTON
COURTESY WALTON EMC
http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - November 2022

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