Celebrating National Co-op Month
Autumn is a busy time of year, and October is a particularly eventful month with school in session, fall sports in full swing and the approaching holidays. It’s also when cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month. When I say MEC celebrates Co-op Month, it really means we are celebrating YOU! After all, we wouldn’t exist without you, our members.
Our operational purpose is to serve as your electric provider, but the larger mission of the Co-op is to help make our corner of the world a better place. “Concern for community” is one of seven guiding principles that all co-ops share. Similar to how our wires run through our service territory, our concern for community flows through all of our decisions––because being a co-op means being a responsible partner and good neighbor.
Missoula Electric Cooperative works to help our community through initiatives led by our team and a board comprised of members who reside in our service area. Because we all live, work and operate locally, we understand the unique needs of our community and strive to meet them.
We’re proud to support local youth through educational programs, Youth Tour and our annual scholarships. With your generosity, we launched Operation Round Up® last spring, which aids local charities, organizations, events and schools. Additionally, we are the title sponsor and largest recurrent donor at the annual Turkey Drive and provide assistance to other charitable organizations such as Boys and Girls Club of Missoula County, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation, Drummond Kiwanis and so many more!
The word “cooperative” is close to “cooperation,” meaning people working together towards a common goal—mutually benefitting one another and the larger community. That’s the essence of the cooperative spirit.
Above all, as a co-op we put our members’ priorities first. As your trusted energy partner, we know that saving energy and money is important to you. That’s why we have numerous programs in place to help, including in-home energy audits, Pay Your Way pre-pay billing, and we work closely with Energy Share of Montana and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
We want to empower you to manage energy use at home. If you haven’t already, I encourage you take a moment and download the SmartHub app. Through the app, you can conveniently monitor and manage your energy use. And we’re of course here to help, so give us a call if you have questions about ways to save on your energy bill or be more energy efficient.
Missoula Electric Cooperative is always exploring ways to operate more efficiently while continuing to provide the highest level of friendly, reliable service you expect and deserve. After all, we’re your local co-op and we were built by the members we serve.
