More Than a Word: The Cooperative Difference

When you hear the word cooperative, what comes to mind?

For many people, it may simply be part of the name of the company that provides electricity to their home or business. But at Jones-Onslow EMC, cooperative means much more than that.

At its heart, a cooperative is a collection of people working toward a common purpose—serving our members, strengthening our communities and taking care of one another.

That idea has guided Jones-Onslow EMC from the very beginning.

Our cooperative was created because neighbors came together to accomplish something that could not be done alone. They needed electricity, and when other utilities were unwilling to bring power to rural communities, local people worked together to make it happen.

That spirit of cooperation still defines us today.

Unlike an investor-owned utility, Jones-Onslow EMC does not exist to generate profits for outside shareholders. We are owned by the members we serve. The decisions we make, the investments we pursue and the programs we offer are centered around providing value to those members and helping the communities we call home thrive.

And while the electric system has changed tremendously over the years, I believe the heart of our cooperative remains the people.

It is our employees who answer the phones when a member needs help. It is the lineworkers who leave their families during storms and work through the night to restore power. It is the employees who visit classrooms, volunteer at community events, support local organizations and look for opportunities to make life a little better for the people around them.

It is also our locally elected board of directors—members and neighbors themselves—who help guide the cooperative and ensure the voices of our members remain at the center of the decisions we make.

We often talk about the seven cooperative principles, but perhaps one of the most important is Concern for Community. At Jones-Onslow, those words are not simply something printed on a page. They are something we work to put into action every day.

You can see it through programs like Bright Ideas grants that support local classrooms, scholarships that help students continue their education and opportunities that introduce young people to leadership and public service. You can see it in our support of economic

development and community organizations throughout our service area. And you can see it in the everyday actions of our employees who live, work, raise their families and serve right here alongside you.

That is the cooperative difference.

This National Cooperative Month, I hope you will take a moment to think about what the word cooperative really means.

To us, it means people working together. It means neighbors helping neighbors. It means being there when our members need us and investing in the places we all call home.

Most importantly, it means remembering that Jones-Onslow EMC belongs to you.

And as we look toward the future, that common purpose will continue to guide us: serving our members, strengthening our communities and taking care of one another.