The Pay It Forward program, begun in 2015, was born out of a desire to continue the good work of the 75 Acts of Kindness community initiative.
Every Laurens Electric Cooperative employee is entered into a random drawing to receive $500 to pay forward in any way they choose. Each month a new name is drawn, and the employee then has one month to apply the funds toward their own act of kindness.
This initiative is budget-neutral; the funds will come from Laurens Electric’s charity events, which employee volunteers make possible.
Employees and the community will enable individual employees to help individuals in the community, and that’s a win-win situation.
April’s recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds, Customer Service Representative Paula Lyles, paid forward $3,000 to Straight Street in Laurens. The youth center, located downtown at 220 West Main Street, provides an avenue of spiritual and social growth off the public street where youth, ages thirteen through nineteen, can meet with their friends in…
March’s recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds, Field Services Dispatcher Brian McCall, paid forward $500 to a The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, the only national volunteer health agency in the United States dedicated solely to the fight against myasthenia gravis. “This cause is important to me because my mother in law fought…
February’s recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds, Lineman David Estes, paid forward $500 to a fellow lineman who, along with his wife, have suffered medical problems that rendered both unable to work. “When he (co-worker) first came here to Laurens Electric, we didn’t know each other” said David, “but I felt an instant…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s first 2018 recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds, System Information Technician Kim Vaughn, paid forward $500 to One Warm Coat program. Whitney Ferguson, President and CEO of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce said, “Each year the Chamber supports One Warm Coat and is the official drop off location. The…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s December recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds, Staking Technician Jeff Satterfield, paid forward $500 to GHS Children’s Hospital. Jeff’s granddaughter Aubree, age 6, was exposed to a staph infection earlier in 2017 and received “first class care and concern from the nurses, doctors, and staff at the hospital,” said Jeff….
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s November recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Billing Representative Amy Hughes. Amy decided to do something different with the $500. She explains, “When selected as the pay it forward employee this month, my mind went in a thousand directions. Everywhere you look there are people in need, and to…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s October recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Lineman TJ Burke. TJ paid forward $500 to the Laurens County Veterans Affairs office Hall of Heroes program. Now in its 13th year, Hall of Heroes honors Laurens County veterans with an honorable discharge. Each year inductees attend a military ceremony at…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s September recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Customer Service Representative Marisa O’Neal. Marisa paid forward $250 each to two local individuals going through urgent health situations. Laurens resident Belinda Bailey was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) in August. She must travel to undergo chemotherapy once a month and…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s August recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Jim Long from the Technical Services Department. Jim paid forward $500 to Children’s Hospital of Greenville Health System during their 2017 Radiothon. Jim said, “If it weren’t for the Children’s Hospital, especially the staff in the NICU, I wouldn’t have 3 children today.”…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s July recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Fleet Coordinator Mason Addy. Mason paid forward $500 to Michael and Maggie Hurley of Fountain Inn. Their son Cooper, born June 30, began having seizures and stopped breathing soon after arriving home. He then spent two weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care…
