Electric Co-op Today

New Orleans plays host every year to millions of visitors who come from all over the globe. They come from small towns; they come from big cities. They come to savor the exotic Creole cuisine, dance a lively two-step, listen to jazz, catch a parade…and then they head back home.

Billy Gibson

Relatively few venture beyond the familiar tourist spots.

But on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, approximately 100 adventurous co-op employees did. They made the decision to do more than simply listen to keynote speakers and view PowerPoint presentations at this year’s NRECA annual meeting.

They grabbed chisels, crowbars and cross­cut saws and went to work. Their mission: to help the elderly and disabled return to homes heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The organized effort was the product of a partnership between NRECA, Touchstone Energy and Rebuilding Together New Orleans, a national nonprofit organization.

Co-op volunteers spent time helping to rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. (Photo By: Luis Gomez)

As one who is challenged in the ways of carpentry, I spent most of the day floating around to the various work sites and doing my best to personally express to these generous souls how grateful we Louisiana natives are that they would be willing to swap a leisurely afternoon riding the trolley or cruising on the Delta Queen for a full day of hard labor.

Among them were folks like Mike Wheatley of Choptank Electric Co-op in Denton, Md., and his wife Bridget, who could have spent their Valentine’s Day in a more romantic setting than a dilapidated old building in the Marigny District.

Tags: Annual Meeting, Co-op Voices, Commitment to Community, Recovery