My Community
Community Commitment
Singing River Electric's employees and board members not only work in the local communities; they live here. Our Cooperative Power (employees and board) can be found in our communities coaching little league, serving on school boards, and working to improve their communities through civic clubs. Your electric cooperative broadens these efforts through grants, donations, scholarships, and by promoting safety education, fostering jobs and local businesses, recognizing youth leaders, and staying prepared for natural disasters.
Safety Education
Singing River Electric has many safety programs including employee education, member education and public education.
Member Safety
With power everywhere in our daily lives, it can be easy to forget the dangers. In fact, many electric lines are out of sight and out of mind. That’s why it’s important to always stay alert. Trained staff and linemen put SRE’s member education campaign into action by visiting with more than 8,000 children and adults each year. The Safety City demonstration quickly communicates how even though electricity is important and essential, it is also powerful. With a small amount of electric current flowing through the display, spectators see just how important it is to be aware everywhere. Sparks fly from the miniature farm tools, ladders and vehicles as they come in contact with the power line.
To bring SRE's Safety City to your school or community, email Singing River Electric safety manager Jason Havard at havard@singingriver.com to schedule the presentation.
Employee Education
Singing River Electric also has an extensive safety education campaign for employees. This involves monthly meetings, an outside and inside safety committee, and safety manual that is strictly followed.
Public Education Campaign
The “Be Aware. Everywhere.” public education campaign communicates how easy it is to forget the risks associated with electricity, especially when you can’t see the dangers. The safety campaign encourages members to be aware everywhere, and gives simple steps to stay safe around power lines. The ads run in local newspapers, TV, radio stations, online and tie to www.beawareeverywhere.com.
Sponsorship Request
Do you have a community event that needs support? As an electric cooperative, we were built by the communities were serve. Our concern for community is demonstrated through cooperative power (our employees) and donations.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) Community Grants
Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) Community Grants help Singing River Electric merge efforts with the hard work of those within our communities.
Through this program, two to three grants for up to $2,500 each will be awarded three times a year in January, May and September. SRE will fund a maximum value equal to eight (8) grants in a calendar year. The grants are available to non-profit organizations helping communities within Singing River Electric’s service territory in education, civic, community development and economic development. Applications are due the second Friday of the month in which grants are being accepted.
Since the program’s inception in 2001, grant monies have been used to purchase playground equipment, car seats, computers, books to teach adults and children to read and to support local projects locally, among other causes. The idea of “neighbors helping neighbors” emerged after Hurricane Georges when Singing River Electric witnessed firsthand neighbors lending a hand to those in need.
Youth and Education Programs
Singing River Electric recognizes local Mississippi youth leaders in our annual Youth Leadership Program and Youth Tour of Washington, D.C.
The cooperative solicits applicants from local high schools. Nominees must be a high school junior with a minimum 3.0 GPA, be involved in extra-curricular activities, have proven leadership skills, and receive electricity from Singing River Electric. All nominees participate in a one-day Cooperative University and interview process in the fall, and up to four students are selected to attend the Youth Leadership Workshop in Jackson in February/March with other Mississippi cooperative representatives to learn about state government and participate in leadership building exercises.
In June, the students travel to Washington D.C., to join youth leaders from across the nation spending a week touring monuments, visiting their legislators at the Capitol, and seeing historical sites.
Interested students should contact their junior guidance or career center counselor for more information or see the following links:
Scholarships and Donations
Singing River Electric is committed to excellence in education. Today’s student is tomorrow’s community leader. Your cooperative donates approximately $4,000 each year to scholarship programs coordinated by local county organizations.
Singing River Electric also supports local schools through community donations, the NHN Grant program and time volunteered by cooperative employees.
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Request a SREC Speaker
Our professionals are available to come talk energy efficiency, solar power, electric safety and more. Contact us today.
Looking for a way to help in the community?
Round up your monthly bill with Neighbors Helping Neighbors Energy Assistance (NHNEA). It averages only $6 per YEAR, and is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to make a difference in south Mississippi. All proceeds for NHNEA go to help members, your neighbors, who need short-term help paying their electric bill.
Energizing Economic Development
Singing River Electric is committed to economic development as an important way of improving the communities we serve. We support our local economies and work to create new jobs in two ways: building infrastructure necessary to reliably support our business and industry needs both today and tomorrow, and working aggressively to match local economic development projects with U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development loans and grants.