Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Northern Plains Gives Back for Co-op Month
October is National Co-op Month, and cooperatives nationwide are celebrating and raising awareness for their way of doing business and building communities.
This year's theme is "Build Back for Impact," as cooperatives are encouraged to use their shared identity to build back from a challenging year.
Since Benjamin Franklin created the first American Co-op in 1752, cooperatives have been building communities and providing high quality services for community members and their businesses.
One such co-op is the Northern Plains Electric Cooperative (NPEC), who has been serving eastern North Dakota and investing in this region for more than two decades. Earlier this year, the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC) secured an economic development loan with a low interest rate through NPEC to purchase the Wonder Lanes Bowling Alley.
"We are very fortunate to have Northern Plains invest in economic development projects in the communities they serve," said Amanda Hegland, NRABC executive director. "Programs like this help keep our small communities thriving."
Cooperatives like NPEC are unique in that they're democratically run by member-owners, with each member getting a say in how the business is operated. Most also operate under a similar set of principles.
Northern Plains Electric Cooperative is guided by the following seven principles:
· Voluntary and Open Membership
· Democratic Member Control
· Member's Economic Participation
· Autonomy and Independence
· Education, Training and Information
· Cooperation Among Co-ops
· Concern For Community
The last of those, Concern for Community, is of utmost importance to NPEC. In July, the NPEC board of directors approved $10,000 in grants to local nonprofits and secured support from CoBank and Basin Electric Power, who matched their grants for a total amount of $30,000.
Thanks to that community concern, Fessenden Fire Protection District, the Little Bobcats Daycare, the Pettibone Rural Fire Department and Woodworth Fire Department were each awarded $7,500, all pictured below clockwise.
In September, NPEC's Operation Round Up Board approved $9,200 of grants for local nonprofits and members with medical issues. Some of that money went to funding a new roof for the Grandfield Lutheran Church in Sheyenne, and to help Dave Moe from Pingree rebuild from a home fire.
For this year's national co-op month, NPEC is celebrating by giving away ten $50 gift certificates to community members and another ten that are available for locally owned businesses.
To be eligible to win, entrants must be a member of NPEC, fill out the entry form located in the center pages of their October issue of North Dakota Living magazine, and return the form with their October payment or mail them to NPEC PO BOX 608 Cando, N.D. 58324 by the entry deadline of October 20, 2021.
Sometime this month, stop by one of the local co-ops in our area. Cooperatives make important contributions to communities nationwide, and Co-op Month is a chance to celebrate the positive differences they've made in Eddy County.