Members of the Pioneer Electric H.U.G.S. (Helping Us Give to Society) presented the Stevens County 4-H Shooting Sports with $2,000 in grant funds on Nov. 17. Money from the grant will be used to purchase new shooting equipment including new air rifles, BB guns and a hand pump.

“The goal of our shooting sports program is to teach our youth good gun safety habits,” said Ron Honig, shooting sports project leader. “They can use these skills for a lifetime of safe shooting.”

Honig stated that several of the guns the project currently uses are more than ten years old; new guns need to be rotated in to replace the oldest models. Honig expects the new equipment to be high enough quality to last for many years.

“Students enrolled in programs like the Steven’s County 4-H are learning valuable life skills,” said Anita Wendt, vice president of energy services. “They can take the skills they learn into the real world and often use them to give back to their communities.”

Pioneer Electric’s H.U.G.S. (Helping Us Give to Society) program awarded $5,000 in grant funds to the Stanton County Library on Nov. 17, 2021. The cooperative also presented the library with $2,500 in grant funds from CoBank, the cooperative’s primary lender. The money will be used to purchase light fixtures, replacing the library’s original fluorescent fixtures with energy-efficient LED panels.

“Replacing the current lighting with a new lighting system is going to be a significant upgrade,” said Colleen Kilbreath, Stanton County Library’s director. “The new lights will improve the building, the work environment, and the experience of our library users. They will also reduce our future energy consumption.”

Kilbreath stated the library has been proactive in combating energy costs; the lighting project will continue to support the library’s savings plan.

“Like our H.U.G.S. program, the Stanton County Library is committed to recycling,” said Anita Wendt, vice president of energy services for Pioneer Electric. “We appreciate the opportunity to help them bring this project to fruition and make a positive impact on not just Stanton County, but the communities that surround it as well.”

More information about Pioneer Electric’s H.U.G.S. program can be found here.

Members of the Southwest Health Transport, Inc. board were presented with $10,000 in grant funds on Nov. 17. Pioneer Electric’s H.U.G.S. (Helping Us Give to Society) team granted $5,000 in funds to Southwest Health Transport, Inc. and presented another $5,000 in matching funds courtesy of CoBank’s Sharing Success program.  The money will help fund the board’s bus transportation project aimed at assisting those with medical transportation needs

“Having a transportation system in place to aid our elderly community will be a huge benefit to the community,” said Steve Brom, chairperson for Southwest Transport, Inc. “The bus will be able to transport those with medical needs to their appointments taking the burden of themselves and their families.”

Southwest Transport estimates over 900 people could benefit from the addition of a medical needs bus transportation system in Ulysses. The bus will be open to those in Ulysses with medical needs in Garden City three days a week and non-elderly persons, persons with disabilities and caregivers will also be able to ride the bus if space is available.

“Our main goal is to help our community get the medical care they need,” said Ruby Romero, Southwest Health Transport, Inc. board member.