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.
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…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s June recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Lineman Jason Tumblin. Jason paid forward $500 to Woodruff Church of God’s Feeding our Future program. According to Rev. Donna Burdette, “Feeding the Future began three years ago when we recognized the need in our community of children who were dependent on…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s May recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Warehouse Supervisor Russell Tollison. Russell paid forward $500 to the Debbie Green and her daughter Jordan. “Debbie has had heart surgery and is a diabetic and now resides at an assisted living facility because she is no longer able to be alone,”…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s April recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Cashier Gloria Campbell. Gloria paid forward $500 to the Goodwin family in Greenwood. “I introduced to them what Pay it Forward was all about, and after that Mrs. Goodwin began to tell me their story, because Mr. Goodwin has lost the use…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s March recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Outage Management Systems controller Mike Wilson. Mike paid forward $500 to Laurens resident Michelle Powell, who needs expensive medical treatment for Lyme disease. Michelle said, “I have been experiencing symptoms since I was 16. Gradually, my joints were damaged by a mystery…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s February recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Customer Service Representative Dometry Dawkins. Dometry paid forward $500 to the Laurens County Literacy Council. An all-volunteer organization, the Literacy Council’s mission is to provide educational programs for the Laurens County residents and families that will enable them to better function as…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s December recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Lineman Don Thompson. Don paid forward $500 to help cover the insurance premiums of a co-worker and fellow lineman who has been medically unable to return to work for more than a year. At the same time, that co-worker’s wife has also…
Laurens Electric Cooperative’s December recipient of the employee Pay it Forward funds is Customer Service Representative Kacie Nelson. Kacie paid forward $500 to Woodruff Manor Nursing home in Woodruff. “I’ve worked in nursing homes as a certified nursing assistant. Christmas is a time when everyone thinks of children but maybe not of our elderly population….
