Customer Service Representative Edwenia Earle-Nelson paid forward $500 to Anderson Interfaith Ministries, or AIM.
AIM is a non-profit organization founded by churches to meet the needs of struggling individuals and families in Anderson County through job, housing, hunger, and crisis programs. Their mission is “Connecting people with support, resources, and education so they can empower themselves to become self-sufficient.”
Edwenia’s donation will help support AIM’s food pantry and utilities and rent for clients.
According to Susan Anderson, AIM’s Vice President of Development, “We have been serving 50 plus clients Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with food. On the other side of this (Covid-19) crisis, we feel assistance for rent and utilities will become our greatest need.”
AIM has adjusted its food distribution methods in light of the pandemic. Anderson said, “We take the food out in front of our food pantry and our clients drive through. We place the food in their cars for them so there’s no direct contact with our clients. In a normal world, they would come into our food pantry and get their food.”
Edwenia said, “Being a single mother, I understand how difficult it can be to provide for your family during this current crisis. Right now you can go to the store not find meat, rice, or basic staples. I saw the news about how many more people in need AIM was receiving daily, and I feel we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers.”
Visit https://www.aimcharity.org/donate for a list of community resources, volunteer opportunities or to donate.
The Pay It Forward program began in 2015.
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.