Jackson Energy employees kicked off the holiday season by filling Thanksgiving food baskets in November, followed by a toy drive in December.
The employees donated food items to assemble 150 baskets that were distributed throughout the region. Leftover items were donated to the Good Samaritan House Homeless Shelter in London, Kentucky. Toys were donated to Family Resource Centers at area schools. Jackson Energy board members also contributed to the drive.
“This is our way of giving back to the families in the communities we serve during the holiday season,” said Jackson Energy President & CEO Carol Wright.
Baskets were assembled during an all-employee meeting held at the London District Office. Executive Administrative Assistant Lisa Baker coordinated the drive, and an assembly line of food, baskets and trimmings ringed the Jackson Energy meeting room. Employees began with an empty basket at one end of the line and finished with a holiday gift at the other end.
Canned vegetables, boxes of brownie mix, macaroni & cheese, packs of instant potatoes and canned hams were added to the baskets as employees moved from table to table.
Organizations receiving the baskets included the Jackson County Food Bank in McKee, Christian Appalachian Project in Mt. Vernon, Come-Unity Cooperative Care in London, the Clay County Cancer Coalition in Manchester, the OwsleyCounty Family Resource Center in Booneville, the Kentucky Mountain Mission in Beattyvilleand the EstillCounty Food Bank in Irvine.
Toys were collected at all cooperative offices. Family Resource Centers located in the Clay, Jackson, Lee and Owsleycounties school districts distributed the toys to students served by the centers.
“We call this our ‘giving back’ projects,” Baker said, adding they are another way co-op employees are involved in community service.
