Cooperative Living November/December 2019 - 19

In Their Own Words
Unless you're here and
actually in the middle of
it, I think it's hard to
understand just how it
is and how it makes you
feel inside. You wonder,
" What else can I do to
help these folks? "
- Bernie Hastings
A&N Electric Cooperative
It'll tug at your heartstrings
to see people
that have struggled for
that long. To make that
a reality for them, I don't
know that you're going
to find a more fulfilling
feeling in the world.
- Josh Golladay Thacker
Central Virginia Electric
Cooperative
You don't know what
you're doing until you
see the celebration. You
can hear stories all you
want but until you actually
see it in person, it's just
awesome. It's hard work.
It's not a vacation.
- Craig Loving
Northern Neck Electric
Cooperative
I had never been to some
place like that before, and
I was surprised by the
level of poverty. I'm so
grateful that we were able
to make a difference for
them. I don't take things
for granted anymore.
- Cody Lockhart
Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative
For them to see the light
bulb light up, it was very
emotional. They've been
waiting for years to get
this done and it took a
group of lineman from
Virginia, Maryland and
Delaware to come do it
for them.
- Roger Pace
Shenandoah Valley
Electric Cooperative
co-opliving.com
The 15 volunteer electric cooperative lineworkers who traveled to Bolivia
explain the importance of the trip to the grateful people - and to themselves.
I think this is something
everyone should experience
at least once.
Seeing the tears of joy in
the eyes of those whose
lives you are changing is
something you feel inside.
I would go back again and
help these villagers.
- Cody Minter
BARC Electric Cooperative
The biggest feeling I had
was overwhelming gratitude
when the light came
on in the first village, how
happy the people were. I
got a little emotional
when I saw how happy
everybody was.
- Allan Thacker
Central Virginia Electric
Cooperative
The founding fathers of
rural electrification brought
power to communities
decades ago that never
had power. We get to
have that feeling those
guys did in the early 1900s
and that's very satisfying.
- Dillon Sheads
Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative
You think you're hydrated,
but you're dehydrated
because you're at altitude
and you're breathing so
hard. Just walking wasn't
bad. But when you exerted
any energy, that's when you
started paying the price.
- Patrick Ambrose
Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative
In some instances, we
had to pull the wire out
by hand. It was awesome
seeing in one village that
the locals actually helped
us pull it out. It was a big
help to the success of
the job.
- JT Jacobs
Shenandoah Valley
Electric Cooperative
One gentleman we met at
one village, he was 97
years old. He said, " I just
got power for the first
time. I've lived here all my
life. Now I can die happy
because I know my family
has power. "
- Jason Purvis
Central Virginia Electric
Cooperative
Seeing a woman in her
60s or 70s, seeing light
for the first time in her
home, brought the cry of
joy that I've changed her
life forever ... and the
lives of her children and
her grandchildren.
- Mike Johnson
Choptank Electric
Cooperative
I felt like the work was the
easy part. Seeing what you'd
see, and trying to deal with
the fact that what we have at
home is different from what
is here by 110 percent ... it
was a real eye-opener.
- Brian (Jake) Michael
Rappahannock Electric
Cooperative
I wanted to come make a
difference in people's lives.
I cannot imagine living in
the surroundings and the
conditions that they do but
I've got to say it's made a
heck of a difference in my
life also.
- Mike Alexander
Shenandoah Valley
Electric Cooperative
It's an adventure. The
people we've met have
been so appreciative. The
way that they greet
us and accept us tells me
that we're doing a good
thing and we're doing
the right thing.
- Scott Diggs
Southside Electric
Cooperative
November-December 2019 | Cooperative Living | 17
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living November/December 2019

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