Source: Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
Spared the worst of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction, Texas electric co-ops have pulled together for a major recovery effort.
According to Martin Bevins, vice president for communications and member services with Texas Electric Cooperatives, more than one-third of the statewide organization’s 75 member co-ops have been participating in mutual aid.
The worst devastation occurred outside co-op service areas, but 14 Texas co-ops were dealing with storm-related damage. As of midweek, eight had been able to restore service to all, or nearly all, of their affected members. At the peak of outages, more than 141,000 co-op members were without power.
Bevins acknowledged many information requests from people wishing to send donations and offered a number of local options provided by some affected cooperatives.
Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC), the Texas statewide co-op organization, has indicated that cooperative employees “are often the last ones we hear about who need help.” For purposes of assisting with those needs, TEC has established a fund to receive and distribute contributions. Checks may be addressed to:
TEC Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund
Texas Electric Cooperatives
1122 Colorado Street, 24th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
Funds collected will be distributed directly to electric cooperatives in Texas to distribute locally.
Deep East Texas EC
Contact: Brittney Ford
Email: brittneyj@deepeast.com
Mail donations to: Deep East Texas EC, Brittney Ford, P.O. Box 736 San Augustine, TX 75972
Checks payable to: Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line www.deepeast.com
Charity – Charities in their service territory
Fayette EC
Contact: Catherine Poppe
Email: cjpoppe@fayette.coop
Mail donations to: Fayette EC, Catherine Poppe, P.O. Box 490 LaGrange, TX 78945
Checks payable to: Good Shepherd Fund – Disaster Relief for Fayette County
Charity – Good Shepherd Fund – Disaster Relief for Fayette County
Jackson EC
Contact: Missie Landry
Email: mlandry@myjec.coop
Mail donations to: Jackson EC, Missie Landry, P.O. Box 1189 Edna, TX 77957
Checks payable to: Jackson Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line
Charity – Churches in their service territory
Jasper-Newton EC
Contact: Ann Horn
Email: ahorn@jnec.com
Mail donations to: Jasper-Newton EC, Ann Horn, 812 S. Margaret Ave. Kirbyville, TX 75956
Checks payable to: Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line
Charity – Charities in their service territory
Nueces EC
Contact: Sarah Fisher
Email: sfisher@nueceselectric.org
Mail donations to: Nueces EC, Sarah Fisher, 14353 Cooperative Avenue Robstown, TX 78380
Checks payable to: Nueces Electric Charity Fund
Nueces Electric Charity Fund – Has operation round-up already in place, but the money donated would be distributed to the impact of Harvey.
Sam Houston EC
Contact: Shelly Young
Email: syoung@samhouston.net
Mail donations to: Sam Houston EC, Shelly Young, P.O. Box 1121 Livingston, TX 77351
Checks payable to: Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line
Charity – SHECO Helping Hands fund and distributed to Co-op members.
San Bernard EC
Contact: John Spiess
Email: jspiess@sbec.org
Mail donations to: San Bernard EC, John Spiess, P.O. Box 1208 Bellville, TX 77418
Checks payable to: San Bernard Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line
Charity – Operation Round-Up Charity Fund
San Patricio EC
Contact: Brittany Williams
Email: bwilliams@sanpatricioelectric.org
Donations can be made to:
Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Department: 200 Johnson St, Woodsboro, TX 78393
Refugio Fire Department: 608 Commerce St, Refugio, TX 78377
Bayside Volunteer Fire Department :P.O. Box 167 Bayside, TX 78340
Taft Volunteer Fire Department: 502 Victoria Ave, Taft, TX 78390
Food Bank of Corpus Christi: 826 Krill St, Corpus Christi, TX 78408, http://www.foodbankcc.com/
United Way of the Coastal Bend: 4659 Eberhart Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78411, http://www.uwcb.org/
Victoria EC
Contact: Blythe Flores
Email: bflores@victoriaelectric.coop
Mail donations to: Victoria EC, Blythe Flores, P.O. Box 2178 Victoria, TX 77902
Checks payable to: Victoria Electric Cooperative, Inc. with “Harvey Relief” in the memo line
Charity – Employees and community
Bevins also offered a link to the Red Cross. See https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation