November is the month for Thanksgiving, and I’d like to give thanks for the tremendous staff of your cooperative. One of our cooperative principles is “Cooperation Among Cooperatives,” and we had a chance to live up to that principle in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. A crew from Clay Electric Co-operative joined restoration efforts for those caught in the hurricane’s path. When a cooperative is hit with a natural disaster, cooperatives across the country mobilize to help. This is our mutual aid network working. It is reassuring to know that if we were to ever be in need, help would be a phone call away.

In the spirit of giving, we are thrilled to be having our second Giving Thanks Blood Drive, a collaboration with the American Red Cross and Oil Belt Christian Service Camp. This lifesaving event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, from 1-5 p.m. at the main activity building/gym at Oil Belt Christian Service Camp. For more details and to schedule your blood donation, please visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/ceci.coop or register on the American Red Cross website at redcrossblood.org. If you can’t make it to our drive, we encourage you to participate in one of the other drives happening in Flora this November.

Keep an eye on your mail this month, too! As a not-for-profit cooperative, Clay Electric records any excess revenue collected as margins. These margins are held onto for a while to ensure our financial stability in case of emergencies. After a certain period, this money is returned to the membership in the form of capital credits. This year, we are returning capital credits for the years.

Don’t forget to be on the lookout for your member number in the center section of this magazine. There are three member numbers hidden in Clay Electric News. If you find your number and give us a call, you win $5 off your next bill!