Chariton Valley (CV) and Macon Electric Cooperative (MEC) share a great partnership with their “cooperative” program, ‘Co-ops in Action.’ Co-ops in Action was started in 2017 with the intention of working together to improve the lives of the people they serve through quarterly work projects where MEC and CV employees come together to help a community group in need of assistance on a project.

The Co-ops in Action third quarter project was recently completed for the town of Jacksonville. MEC and CV worked to improve the community park by cleaning up and painting buildings, playground equipment, and light fixtures. Jacksonville community leaders are excited to be able to hold more events at the park after the upgrades. 

“I love being able to help out our communities,” stated Rebecca Miller, Manager of Marketing and Communications at Macon Electric Cooperative. “It is inspiring to see the difference that Co-ops in Action is making and the impact our projects can have on a community.” 

“It is always a great feeling when helping our local communities,” stated Daren Dowell, PR & Economic Development Consultant at Chariton Valley. “Co-ops in Action is a program that allows us to give back and work with our neighboring cooperative.”

MEC and CV select projects through a request process where community groups can apply to have work completed for their organization. A committee reviews the applications quarterly and selects projects to complete based on feasibility and impact on the community. During the volunteer workday, the organization provides the material needed for the project and the cooperatives provide the labor. Co-ops in Action is currently seeking requests for 2023 projects. Interested organizations can apply at www.maconelectric.com or www.cvalley.net.