Giving without borders— near and far
Shop and give
TRENTON, Tennessee
“We all have too much stuff,” says Anita Green, a member services representative at Gibson Electric Membership Corporation for 27 years.
“I started donating things I didn’t need to the Crockett Mission (Maury City, Tennessee), a shop that sells donated items and then all the money from sales goes back into the community. Then I started working there. The mission is open two days a week and is run by volunteers. Now I encourage people to shop there and to donate items they don’t need.”
Anita says her job at Gibson EMC and her volunteer work for the Crockett Mission have one major thing in common—they both serve the community.
“Serving my community is the favorite part of my job,” Anita says. “Absolutely. Yes.”
Gibson EMC member service representative Anita Green’s big smile shows her love for service—in this case, her work volunteering for the Crockett Mission. Photo: Jenna Green 
East Kentucky Power Cooperative senior engineer Patrick Bischoff with the new outdoor kitchen he and volunteers from the University of Kentucky chapter of Engineers Without Borders built in Malawi in 2019. It serves 2,000 students who attend a primary school there. Photo: Landon Feese
Engineers Without Borders
WINCHESTER
Patrick Bischoff has found himself in mud as far as he could see, in sweltering heat and in places without proper water or sanitation.
Patrick volunteered for these conditions as part of Engineers Without Borders.
The nonprofit organization operates primarily through student-led chapters and some professional chapters. With help from a professional mentor like Patrick, chapters work on sustainable projects involving clean water, sanitation and transportation. Patrick has mentored in projects around the world.
“It is great for me. It affords me the opportunity to serve as a mentor to future engineers and a way to give back to communities not as fortunate as ours,” he says.
Patrick also gives back to his community through his job as a senior engineer for East Kentucky Power Cooperative.
“The money we raise for these projects goes a long way and impacts the living standards of a lot of families,” he says. “It’s a great way to give back. It also makes you appreciate all the little things we take for granted here.”
