VEA and CoBank donate $20k to these nonprofits

In the true giving spirit of the holidays, Valley Electric Association and CoBank are spreading the love this season with $20,000 in donations making their way into the coffers of three area nonprofits, bolstering each of the organization’s community-oriented efforts.

“Recently, the cooperative participated in CoBank’s Sharing Successes program, matching donations for three organizations - the Pahrump Holiday Task Force, Advocates for Children of Rural Nevada, and VETrans,” a press release from VEA announced. “Valley’s participation in the Sharing Successes program demonstrates the cooperative’s commitment to supporting organizations that positively impact the well-being of the communities it serves. The three organizations selected by Valley are all dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others.”

The Pahrump Holiday Task Force is a nonprofit with the sole mission of bringing people together throughout the year, “…ensuring everyone has a special holiday,” the press release notes. Four times a year, the Pahrump Holiday Task Force hosts free public events, including the Community Easter Picnic, Independence Day Parade and Family Fun Day, Community Thanksgiving Dinner and the Community Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve. These events includes a no-cost meal for attendees, along with activities and entertainment, and each regularly attracts hundreds of guests.

“We were so surprised, shocked and absolutely humbled by the donation of $10,000 from VEA and CoBank, it was just incredible to receive such a big donation to our cause,” Pahrump Holiday Task Force leader Linda Wright enthused. “We love bringing our community together and these funds will go a long way toward helping us continue to do that.”

Advocates for Children of Rural Nevada, simply called ACORN, is a nonprofit dedicated to providing advocacy for youth in the foster care system. Formerly known as Pioneer Territory Court Appointed Special Advocates, ACORN recruits, trains and supports a force of volunteer advocates who in turn provide a voice to neglected and/or abused children as they make their way through the court system, “…ensuring that they can be safe and have the opportunity to thrive,” the press release adds.

“I have had the pleasure of working with CoBank in my previous career and I can’t thank them enough for their dedication to VEA and our community here in Nye County,” ACORN Executive Director Kathie McKenna told the Pahrump Valley Times with evident delight. “What an upstanding organization they are, as well as VEA. We can’t thank either one of them more for this amazing $6,000 donation!”

VETrans is a program under the umbrella of Pahrump Valley Public Transportation. Through VETrans, local veterans can access free transportation for their medical appointments, both in the valley and over the hill in Las Vegas, as well as for pharmacy visits. “With the rural nature of the community, this need is growing due to the lack of available cars locally,” the press release details. “The VETrans program hopes to be able to serve more veterans by expanding its transportation services to Monday through Friday, along with adding more time slots.”

“On behalf of all of us at VETrans, we would like to thank VEA and CoBank for their generous donation of $4,000,” Pahrump Valley Public Transportation Executive Director Eric Whalen gratefully remarked. “Donations such as this are crucial in maintaining the level of service that our veterans deserve.”

For more information on the task force email PahrumpHolidayTaskForce@gmail.com

For more on ACORN visit www.ACORNV.org

For more on VETrans visit PahrumpValleyTransit.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com