Volunteer of Year honored for outreach efforts through ministry Barbara Choice, co-op CSR, helped form Reaching Hearts, Touching Souls    Barbara Choice, a customer service representative for Laurens Electric Cooperative, has been named the co-op's Volunteer of the Year for 2005. "Barbara's efforts to improve the quality of life in our community mirror our co-op's overall mission and reflect one of the core values shared by Laurens Electric Cooperative and other Touchstone Energy Cooperatives across America," said Human Resources Director Chad Armstrong. "Her example shines a bright light of inspiration that can guide us all." Laurens Electric Cooperative CSR Barbara Choice says her outreach ministry Reaching Hearts, Touching Souls aims to bring stability to families in the Laurens community. Choice, of Laurens, helped establish an outreach ministry, Reaching Hearts, Touching Souls, which aids the community. Located at 1209 South Harper St., on the east side of Laurens, the ministry is a non-profit organization, she notes. "Our sole aim is to bring stability to our families and the community," Choice says. Reaching Hearts, Touching Souls has presented several events to further these goals, including a Love Feast where visitors could receive educational materials to promote awareness of health issues such as HIV/AIDs. "We have made a special effort to reach young adults," Choice notes. The ministry has sponsored workshops promoting personal financial skills, entrepreneurship and attaining general equivalency diplomas (GEDs). The organization also aids the elderly and others in need with programs such as Winter Warmth, which provides donated clothes. Armstrong said Choice and previous Volunteer of the Year honorees at the co-op embody the Touchstone Energy value of commitment to community. Touchstone Energy is an alliance of more than 620 independent, consumer-owned electric cooperatives across America. In addition to community commitment, Touchstone Energy co-ops place a high value on reliability, innovation and accountability.