YAMPA VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

[YVEA News]

coloradocountrylife.coop 7JANUARY 2016

IThe Power of Operation Round Up BY DIANE JOHNSON || PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER || DJOHNSON@YVEA.COM

In 1999, Yampa Valley Electric Association established a program called Caring Consumers. Members could opt to have their electric bills rounded up and the extra cents went into a fund that helped individuals in need pay their medical and utility bills. Over the years, the program transitioned into assisting nonprofits or 501(c)(3) organiza-tions and helping individuals through these organizations. Each year, applications requesting funds have grown but the money coming from members is not growing. For example, in 2014 we received $112,000 worth of applications and had only $28,000 in the fund to help those in need. It takes a significant amount of time and effort to manage the program, so the YVEA board was faced with a decision: revamp this program into one that is vibrant and brings value, or discontinue it all together.

In November’s issue of this newsletter we announced what we think is a great solution. YVEA has now adopted Operation Round Up, a program that began as a simple idea 27 years ago at a co-op in South Carolina. As it explains the program, “Just round up the co-op member’s electric bill to the next dollar, and then use those cents to do good work in your community.” Today, hundreds of electric co-ops throughout the country, including Yampa Valley Electric Association, use this idea to help members and organizations close to home. We think the idea makes great “cents.”

The average co-op member in the program donates $6, with a maximum possible contribution of $11.88 per year. This may not seem like a large amount, but with a combined 26,000 possible participants, it adds up to make a significant impact in our community.

Each co-op that uses Operation Round Up decides how it wants to implement the program, and the vast majority are governed by a board of volunteers that is different from the board of directors for the electric co-op. This ensures that decisions are made in the best interest of the community. At YVEA this is how we operate our pro-gram as well. The ORU board is chosen by the YVEA board to ensure that the volunteer board is diverse, represents all areas of YVEA’s service territory and consists of members who have the skills and experience to make decisions about donations. Our ORU board of volunteers consists of Chairman Tom Fox, Rebecca Wattles of Hayden, Kathy Powell of Craig, Betse Grassby of Steamboat and Judy Jones of Steamboat.

These board members donated time to develop this program, including a mission statement, goals, guidelines and an application. They use specific criteria to decide which applications will be funded. There are also no administrative fees taken from this ORU fund. YVEA

donates our labor, administration and equip-ment to make the program happen.

All donated funds are passed through to qualifying organizations, except for a once-per-year audit fee of $2,000. The goals and mission statement also align with Yampa Valley Electric Association’s goals and mission statement. To view the ORU mission statement and goals and other ORU information, visit yvea.com/ content/operation-roundup.

Diane Johnson

Over the years, millions of dollars have been collected and distributed for a wide range of activities. Some of the orga-nizations we have funded since adopting Operation Round Up are:

Assisted Care Facility — Baggs, Wyoming

Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Colorado

Colorado Crane Conservation

Community Ag Alliance

Grand Futures — Craig

The Haven — Hayden

Horizons — Steamboat Springs

Humane Society of Moffat County

Love, Inc. — Craig

NW Visiting Nurses

Partners of Routt County

Routt County Humane Society

Senior Social Center — Craig

Soda Creek Elementary

Soroco Rams Booster Club

South Routt Elementary Literacy Carnival

Steamboat Springs High School After Prom

Steamboat Art Museum

The Memorial Hospital Foundation — Craig

Tracks & Trails Museum — Oak Creek

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[continued on page 8]

[YVEA News]

coloradocountrylife.coop4 JANUARY 20168

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Operation Round Up[continued from page 7]

YVEA NEWSYVEA’S NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE LOCATION IN CRAIG

Don’t forget we relocated our customer services portion of our Craig office into Yampa Valley Bank, conveniently located at 435 Mack Lane, Suite 203, in Craig. Our current location on E. U.S. Highway 40 will become operations deployment, warehouse and contractor services. Our new office opened November 30 and office hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed for bank holidays.)

YVEA DROPBOX LOCATIONS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

Steamboat Springs location:• 2102 Lincoln Ave.• City Market — 1825 Central Park Drive

Craig location:• Yampa Valley Bank — 435 Mack Lane, Suite 203 We have a temporary drop box just inside the Yampa Valley Bank doors. As weather allows, we will be putting a permanent box at the bank near the front entrance.

Hayden location:• Hayden Mercantile — 111 N. 6th St.

Applications are accepted two times per year, in May and October. Organizations may only receive funding once per year. All applications must align with the goals set by the ORU board: promote education, impact the unique communities we serve, and support positive en-vironmental impact. All organizations must provide a budget and the funds cannot be used for general operating expenses. Funds must be used for a specific program or project. Organizations are tasked with writing an application that gives the voluntary board thorough infor-mation and an understanding of how the funds will be used. These or-ganizations are also obligated to provide the board with a final report and possibly present outcomes at the YVEA annual meeting each year.

Operation Round Up is a perfect example of that cooperative spirit. A few cents from each member makes up many dollars that can truly make a difference in the lives of those in need. We hope that you will enjoy participating in ORU. But please know that the program is always voluntary. You may choose to participate and change your mind or choose not to participate from the start.

Below are ways you may opt out of ORU:• Check the box on your payment remittance stub

• Call the YVEA office at 970-879-1160• Send email to oru@yvea.com with your name, address

and account numberVisit yvea.com/content/opt-out-operation-round

and submit the opt out request

This holiday season, Yampa Valley Electric Association, the board and employees adopted families through the local United Way organizations. Between the gift tags that employees chose and purchased themselves and cash donations, YVEA was able to provide all of the items on the seven families’ wish lists as well as a family night out, including dinners and movies, and a grocery card for each family. Rex Brice of Rex’s Family of Restaurants donated one-half of the cost of each family’s night out at one of his seven restaurants and the movie theaters gave discounted tickets. This was a great team project. Thank you for everyone’s efforts in making these families’ Christmas a special one.

UNITED WAY FAMILIES ADOPTED

Yampa Valley Electric Association and Yampa Valley Bank celebrated their new partnership and new location with a rib-bon cutting on November 30. The event was hosted by Craig Chamber of Commerce.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

[YVEA News]

coloradocountrylife.coop 9JANUARY 2016

FThose who use generators must be mindful of such risks as electric shock and toxic exhaust. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than half of the annual accidents with generators occur between November and February, the coldest months of the year. Safe Electricity provides tips on the safe preparation and operation of genera-tors this winter. Since generators come in a variety of sizes, capacities and power sources, begin by reading and following all manufac-turer instructions. Also, before you use a generator, inspect it for damage. If no damage is found, prepare it for use in an area outside of the home and away from dangerous or wet conditions. Because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, always run the machine outdoors as carbon monoxide levels may be fatal within minutes in enclosed areas. Be aware of the symp-toms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which include head-aches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue and nausea. If you suspect that someone has been exposed to carbon monoxide, move him or her into fresh air immediately. It is also a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s guide for proper placement and test the batteries regularly. Carbon monoxide produced by generators is not the only hazard from generator use. If you are not careful with the prepa-ration of a portable or standby generator, you can put the lives of others in danger because of backfeed. Backfeed is a situation where a generator is feeding electricity back through your elec-trical system and meter into the power lines. This jeopardizes the safety of line crews working to restore power, as well as any-one who may be near the downed or sagging line that becomes energized. To prevent backfeed, standby generators should have a trans-

fer safety switch installed by a professional. This device auto-matically separates your home system from the utility system. Portable generators should never be plugged directly into a home outlet or electrical system. Use a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cord to plug appliances into an outlet on the genera-tor for power. Your generator should have more output than the wattage of the appliances you will plug into it. Be sure to keep pets and children a safe distance away. When the generator needs a refill on gasoline, first reduce flammability by turning off the machine for at least 10 minutes so that fumes can dissipate.

Don’t Get Left Out in the Cold on Generator Safety

If you only want to heat or supplement inadequate heating in one room, small space heaters can be less expensive to use than your central heating system.

Source: Energy.gov

Hot Tub TipsAny electrical outlets within 20 feet

of a hot tub should be equipped

with a ground fault circuit inter-

rupter. A GFCI monitors the flow

of electricity in a circuit. If there

is an irregularity of electrical flow,

the power is cut off, preventing an

electric shock. GFCIs are recom-

mended anywhere water and

electricity may meet.

For more winter safety tips, visit SafeElectricity.org.

[YVEA News]

coloradocountrylife.coop4 JANUARY 201610

WWhen winter temperatures drop and storms hit, it can be chal-lenging to stay safe and warm. Winter storm severity varies de-pending on where you live, but nearly all Americans are affected by extreme winter storms at some point. Yampa Valley Electric Association cares about your safety and wants you to be prepared. Heavy snow and ice can lead to downed power lines, leaving co-op members without power. During extremely low temperatures, this can be dangerous. During a power outage our crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as pos-sible to restore power, but there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself. ❅ STAY WARM — Plan to use a safe alternate heating source, such as a fireplace or wood-burning stove. These are great options to keep you and your loved ones warm, but exer-cise caution when using an alternate source and never leave the heating source unattended. If you are using gasoline-, propane- or natural gas-burning devices to stay warm, never use them indoors. Remember that fuel- and wood-burning sources of heat should always be properly ventilated. Always read the manufac-turer’s directions before using.

❅ STAY FED — The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion recommends having several days’ supply of food handy that does not need to be cooked. Crackers, cereal, canned goods and bread are good options. Five gallons of water per person should

also be available in the event of an extended power outage.

❅ STAY SAFE — When an outage occurs, it usually means power lines are down. It is best not to travel during winter storms, but if you must, bring a survival kit along and do not travel alone. If you encounter downed lines, always assume they are live. Stay as far away from the downed lines as possible and report the situation to our dispatchers by calling 970-879-1160, if possible.

Winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous and planning ahead can often be

the difference between life and death. Yampa Val-ley Electric is ready for what Mother Nature has in

store and wants you to be ready, too. For more winter safety tips, visit Ready.gov/winter-weather.

Abby Berry writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

A WORD TO THE WISE DURING WINTER STORMSBY ABBY BERRY

SSome people argue that leaders are born, not made. While it’s true that some people are born with certain traits that make them more comfortable in leadership roles, all great leaders need help developing their skills.

Many others who might not be perceived as “natural” leaders can become excep-tional leaders if given the right coaching and an opportunity to shine.

What if a high school student in your life — a child, a grandchild or the nice kid down the road who’s always willing to help out a neighbor — had the opportunity to participate in a nationally recognized leadership program?

What if previous participants of that program went on to serve as elected of-ficials or as the CEO of one of the most profitable, innovative and highly respected companies in the world? What if that program was available at no cost to the student?

For members of Colorado’s electric cooperatives, these aren’t hypothetical questions. Every summer, more than 1,700 bright and talented high school students from across rural America converge in Washington, D.C., for the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

These young men and women represent our next generation of leaders. They are the people who will make our communities better places to live and lead businesses that will provide good jobs and valuable services.

Participants in the Youth Tour spend a week in Washington, D.C., where they will:• Learn about electric cooperatives and the cooperative business model

• Spend a day on Capitol Hill, with face-to-face meet-ings with their senators and members of Congress

• Visit monuments and memorials• Explore museums• Build lifelong friendships with other young

leaders from across the countryThis isn’t just a field trip to Washington, D.C. It’s

a transformational experience that shows students the power of democracy and the importance of leadership.

Youth Tour boasts many distinguished alumni, including Apple CEO Tim Cook who represented Baldwin Electric Membership Corporation in Summerdale, Alabama, on the 1977 Youth Tour.

In a commencement address to George Washington University’s Class of 2015, Cook cited Youth Tour as a moment that helped shape his view of the world.

This experience is offered at no cost to the student or family. The only out-of-pocket expenses are for incidentals, such as souvenirs and snacks.

Electric cooperatives have sponsored the Youth Tour for more than 50 years because we believe it is our responsibility as not-for-profit, community-based organizations to invest in our next generation of leaders.

YOUTH TOUR EMPOWERS COLORADO STUDENTS