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The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the global conversation over the past several months. Moreover, it’s dictated our personal and professional lives. In an effort to keep us as safe as possible from an invisible invader and a relentless enemy, government directives have been ever-evolving. The crisis has taken an unthinkable emotional and financial toll. Worst of all, it’s stolen lives and livelihoods. We’ll be unraveling the repercussions for years.
While the news hasn’t been good, there have been sparks of hope, borne of American optimism and the cooperative spirit. We’re not reeling from a voracious virus — we’re resolute in our resolve to recover and to prosper. We’re living through the pages of history, but our chapter has yet to conclude. We’ve been there before, and we’ll weather the storm again. We have no other choice.
The cooperative world is founded on principles that guide us through the tough times. Most crucial among those ideologies is concern for community — which extends to countless cooperative communities in 77 Ohio counties. In that vein, we offer our gratitude.
- Thank you — to everyone who checked on a neighbor, friend, or relative.
- Thank you — to everyone who provided internet access to allow a student to finish the school year.
- Thank you — to everyone who supports and patronizes Ohio-owned businesses.
- Thank you — to parents who take care of children while working from home.
- Thank you — to Ohio’s 24 electric cooperatives, for keeping the lights on and the power flowing for members who found themselves unable to pay bills.
- Thank you — to the staffs of our power plants, who work tirelessly to supply an essential service — electricity — that allows other fundamental service providers — health care workers, first responders, farming operations, and grocers, among others — to continue to look out for the rest of us.
- Thank YOU — for your patience, strength, and determination … for a kind word or a sympathetic gesture … for helping to make the road a bit easier to travel as we forge an unparalleled path.
Let’s keep moving toward the light that we see at the end of the tunnel.
Pat O'Loughlin is president and CEO of Ohio's Electric Cooperatives.
