Normally in April, Basin Electric would be sponsoring after-prom and post-graduation parties to keep students safe during those celebrations. Instead, the co-op has shifted donations to help combat the effects of COVID-19.
Jennifer Holen, Basin Electric charitable giving administrator, has been contacted for assistance by several charitable organizations and members over the past few weeks. Donations include cleaning supplies for the Y.E.S. House in Gillette, Wyoming, as shelters are in need of cleaning supplies to keep people safe.
"An employee at Dry Fork Station contacted me to let me know that the Y.E.S. House needed cleaning supplies. She helped coordinate getting what they needed and I sent them a check on behalf of Basin Electric," Holen said.
Missouri Slope Areawide United Way in Bismarck, North Dakota, received aid from Basin Electric, as well. "I saw a Facebook post that United Way needed food for its weekly backpack delivery to students in need of food over the weekends," she said. "I placed a Sam's Club order and picked it up and dropped it off at the United Way office."
Basin Electric charitable giving also helped provide aid to CHI St. Alexius and Sanford Health Foundation in Bismarck. "Basin Electric is here to help support front-line hospital employees during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing food for them, and helping local patients by providing iPads for them to communicate with their loved ones during this time," Holen said.
Dakota Gasification Company has helped medical professionals, too. Over the weekend, Dakota Gas donated 88 disposable face shields to Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen, North Dakota. Amy Garman, Dakota Gas laboratory superintendent, said the face shields will be used at the Hazen and Beulah, North Dakota, clinics to protect staff. "DGC's lab uses the disposable face shields when dumping samples at the end of a shift. We can supplement with the shared hard plastic face shields. Losing these aren't going to be a problem at all," Garman said. "They were struggling finding a source that wasn't out of these and their current supply was low. After making sure our medical staff here at DGC weren't in need, I got the ok from our plant manager and delivered them to the clinic."
Dr. Aaron Garman is Amy's husband, and a physician at Sakakawea Medical Center and Coal Country Community Health Center in Beulah. "Our laboratory staff are on the front lines at this time as they are collecting the specimens to be sent to the state lab for processing," he said.
Basin Electric's member cooperatives are showing their concern for community, as well. Cooperatives across its nine-state service territory are finding ways to assist their communities during their time of need. One such example is Class C member Sheridan Electric, which committed to donate water and supplies through nine schools in Montana to help feed students in need. Read more and see pictures of their donations at Basin Electric: Live Wire: Sheridan Electric committed to helping children during COVID-19
