Dakota Electric Association, along with CoBank, one of its lenders, recently donated $20,000 to three community organizations. 360 Communities received $10,000, and Dakota Woodlands and Hastings Family Service received $5,000 each. Dakota Electric’s donations were matched by CoBank through the company’s “Sharing Success” grant program. 360 Communities provides hope and support to more than 16,000 individuals each year from over 45 locations providing a variety of programs, including food shelves, violence prevention and intervention, educational support and more. Hastings Family Service provides a wide range of client services including operating a food pantry and thrift store, providing meals on wheels, transportation and more to families in and around Hastings. In 2020, the Meals on Wheels program provided meals for 129 seniors with 180 volunteers, and Project Share provided gifts for 485 children. Through the matching program, CoBank and cooperatives across the United States, have donated more than $56 million since 2012. Dakota Electric and CoBank have provided $125,000 locally through this program in that time.
(Chris Koop, executive director at Hastings Family Service receives a representative check from Dakota Electric director David Jones (L) and CoBank representative John Donner.(R). Photo: Courtesy Dakota Electric)
