AEC appeals to members for “Project Deserve” donations

Requests help in providing emergency assistance

AEC’s Customer Relations Director Scott Tipton discusses the Co-op’s “Project Deserve” emergency assistance program with Neighborhood Service Center Coordinator Missy Rush. In an effort to see that vouchers go only to those truly in need, AEC confirms eligibility for the program through the Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority.

The folks at Appalachian Electric Cooperative call their emergency assistance program “Project Deserve,” and there’s a good reason for that, according to Co-op Customer Relations Director Scott Tipton. “The individuals that receive help with their electric bills through this program are truly deserving,” he explains. “We work hard to make sure these limited funds go to those who are really struggling—elderly and disabled folks who are on fixed incomes. In combination with assistance from other sources, a Project Deserve voucher may be the only thing that allows one of our members to keep their power on. And with a winter like the one we’ve just been through, this program has made a critical difference for a great many people throughout our service area.”

The need for the program has never been greater. Since its inception back in 1982, more than $125,000 in assistance has been provided through Project Deserve. Funds are disbursed as $75 vouchers which are used as once-a-year credits toward payment of AEC electric account balances. “Seventy-five dollars might not seem like a lot,” says Tipton, “But I can promise you that, for the folks we’re helping through this program, it’s HUGE.”

The increased need for assistance brought on by the extremely cold temperatures we experienced this winter has drained the Project Deserve funds. “This season has tested the limits of our ability to provide help to our members through this program,” says Tipton. “That’s why we’re turning to the community to drum up support.” With so many vouchers being issued this early in 2014, AEC depleted its reserves for this purpose by the end of February. Since these funds are financed entirely through member contributions, the Co-op wants its members to be aware of what’s at stake, and how they can help.

“Our members have always been so generous in helping their neighbors in need,” says Tipton, “we’re sure they’ll want to help out. Donations of even just a dollar a month on your electric bill are much appreciated. When you multiply that by enough member contributions, the money raised for Project Deserve can really make an impact. In the wake of the Winter of ’14, this program is needed more than ever before.”

Donating to Project Deserve is simple. Just contact AEC’s Bookkeeping department at extension 1820. Tell them the amount you’d like to have added to your electric bill each month as a Project Deserve donation, and they’ll be glad to help make that happen. And if your circumstances should change, you can discontinue your contribution at any time in the future just by making another phone call. Or you have the option of making a one-time lump-sum donation, if you prefer. Any amount is appreciated.

“I’d like to thank our members in advance for stepping up to help,” says Tipton. “I know their response will be noteworthy, and it makes me proud to be a member of Appalachian Electric Cooperative. This kind of effort to help others is really emblematic of the cooperative spirit that distinguishes our business model.”