Rural Missouri - February 2022 - 9

When Frozen Food Express began exploring a possible new terminal in Butler, Osage Valley Electric Cooperative joined state, regional and local
economic development partners to help land the community a new employer. From left: Osage Valley's Jana Rosier and FFE's Daniel Nelson, Will
McIntosh, John Henry, Matt Toppass, Clay Conley, Dallas Van Horn, Justin Quick and Lois Durbin.
closer to home in tightknit, rural communities, so the coop
feels a responsibility to help when and where it can.
" We're so small that everybody knows everybody, "
Carmin adds. " Some way or somehow, most of us have a
connection to them. "
In early 2020, Osage Valley's employees from both the
Butler and Clinton offi ces started their own assistance
fund, with participants donating $5 per paycheck to help
worthy causes. Consumer Service Representative Kyla
Yohe said by mid-December 2021 they'd raised $3,180
that year alone. Recipients have included the Clinton Animal
Shelter, the Rich Hill Police Department Annual Jack
Bearch Bike Drive, area nursing homes and Keep Kids
Warm and Coats for Kids.
" We try to hit a lot of different places and keep it wellversed, "
Kyla says, adding other funds have helped at least
one local kid with medical treatments and a teen with
cancer purchase their fi rst car. " It's usually $1,000 around
Christmas and the co-op matches the donation. But we
make more than that and we try to do things early in the
year for people who need them. "
One thing roughly all 17,000 Osage Valley Electric
members might agree they need is reliable, high-speed
internet. They'll soon have it thanks to a partnership
between the co-op and Kansas City-based internet service
provider Conexon. In January, the co-op broke ground on
its fi ber-to-the-home project in Crescent Hill. The build
was jump-started with $10 million in funding from the
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, and the co-op plans to
pursue more broadband funds at the state and federal levels
to complete the estimated $75 million project. Osage
Valley is on a fi ve-year plan to build out the broadband
network across its entire 3,700-mile system.
" A lot of people don't have any internet option at all,
and that's probably 80% of our members, " Jana says. " The
board has always been about, 'it needs to be available to
every member, not just the higher density areas.' "
In the meantime, the co-op and its employees remain
rooted in their local causes. One they look forward to
returning to is the Community Cafe, wherein a different
organization buys and serves a meal to families in the
community. The every-Tuesday event rotates between
churches in the area, serving between 70 and 80 people in
need.
" For those who go it's really more about fellowship, having
somebody to talk to and getting out, " Jana says. " For
us, it's what you do. It's just part of working here. "
For more information on Osage Valley's Operation Round
Up, visit www.osagevalley.com/round-up-program.
FEBRUARY 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 9

http://www.osagevalley.com/round-up-program http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Rural Missouri - February 2022

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