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Local Electric Cooperative Teams with Co-Bank to Give Back

Writer's picture: Anne Boswell TaylorAnne Boswell Taylor

 

(La Junta, CO) --  CoBank’s signature Sharing Success program doubles the impact by matching charitable contributions.


Recently, the Arkansas Valley CASA received such funds. Southeast Colorado Power Association, along with CoBank and the Sharing Success program, was able to donate some funds to this organization that serves Bent, Crowley, and Otero counties in Southeast Colorado. 



Arkansas Valley CASA Program Director Cynthia Sollenbarger explained that they try to make every dollar count as a non-profit. CASA works with children in the foster care system. Sollenbarger and her staff train volunteers from the community to advocate for children in court. The volunteers get to know the children well and can be their voice in court so that the judge can make the best decision on their case.  CASA’s role in the court system is written into state law under the Colorado Children’s Code.


Donations like the Sharing Success funds go a long way toward accomplishing this mission. In 2024, CASA served 63 children in 35 cases. Sollenbarger broke down the costs to share that salaries and training account for much of their operating costs. Background checks on volunteers can also take a large portion of the budget, costing as much as $300 for some volunteers. 


“And then you have the really un-fun things like keeping the lights on, paying for the building, paying for the phone, paying for you know, internet stuff and those all add up, and that just part of running a business, any business, especially a non-profit. And we do though put back into our CASA kids, we always have toys and resources available for our volunteers to take to our kids,” Sollenbarger expounded.


“Through the work we do, I feel like we make a huge impact in our community, and I feel like people really do realize that.  We impact the children, but ideally but we also impact those families.”   Sollenbarger lifted up her volunteers as people who really do work for the children and their families as she shared that one of their volunteers taught a family how to cook a Thanksgiving meal. 


CASA was brought to the Arkansas Valley in 2017, and that’s not a lot of time to gather community support and build such a program.


“I’m so thankful to our community, we’ve only been here since 2017 so we’re relatively new in this area, and I feel like people have poured out their support to us, we’re very grateful for that,” Sollenbarger added.


CASA’s operating costs are supported by two large fundraisers each year: “The Heart of the Valley” luncheon in April and “Boots and Bling” in October, a dinner and dancing with live music event.


Sollenbarger expressed gratitude for the community's support of these two events and for the donations that keep them doing their work.

She finished up by explaining they always try to be good stewards of the community’s generosity.


“We try and make sure that every dollar that is given to us counts.”

Since its inception in 2012, CoBank’s Sharing Success program has provided more than $76 million in combined contributions to our rural communities.

 

For more information on what electric cooperatives do in our communities, contact Anne Boswell, Communications Coordinator, SECPA, anneb@secpa.com

 

(photo-Southeast Colorado Power Association Chief Financial Officer Aaron Johnson presents a check to CASA as part of CoBank’s Sharing Success Program)



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