ELLSWORTH – Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services, is providing financial support to victims of Hurricane Helene. The Pierce Pepin Cares board of directors met on Oct. 5 and approved sending $2,500 to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The $2,500 comes from the cooperative’s Federated Youth Foundation (FYF), funded through abandoned capital credits.

Wisconsin electric cooperatives have sent 45 linemen, trucks, and equipment to Aiken Electric Cooperative in Aiken, SC, to assist in rebuilding electric lines.

“This is not a restoration,” said Federated Youth Foundation executive director Rob Richard. “This is a complete rebuild of the cooperative. Hundreds of poles were snapped. Entire substations were washed away. Every major roadway and bridge structure was significantly damaged or destroyed.”

The Wisconsin cooperatives have also committed to sending a semi-load of supplies, such as clothing, water, non-perishable food, tarps, toiletries, blankets, pillows, cleaning supplies, diapers, small generators, etc. This work is being done in coordination with the Wal-Mart distribution center in Menomonie to procure the supplies. RESCO (an electric supply cooperative) has offered to supply the trucking. 

“We understand that people in the region are in dire need of electricity and humanitarian supplies,” said PPCS president and CEO Nate Boettcher. “One of our core cooperative principles is Concern for Community. We are thankful we can reach out and assist our South Carolina neighbors in their time of need.”

This is critical work. In the words of one resident, “These guys are so amazing! I watched in awe as they made such a difficult job look so easy. When they finished, and I flipped my main breaker on for the first time in 12 days, I can’t even explain all the emotions I felt … I’ve seen multiple companies from several states working non-stop, rotating shifts, 24 hours a day. They are beyond exhausted and missing their families, but they continue pushing through because they know they are our only hope at finding a sense of normalcy amid this chaos.”

Submitted by Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services