Better Together

As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on the difference we made for our Christmas families this year. Every holiday season, MEC reaches out to local families in need, hoping to make their celebrations a little brighter. I have the privilege of helping to shop for these families and, each year, I’m struck by the same reality: Their Christmas lists are filled with essentials—coats, gloves, boots. Living in Michigan, these aren’t just gifts; they’re necessities.

What makes this effort truly special is that it’s powered by our own employees through the MEGB MEC Employees Give Back fund. Throughout the year, our team contributes to this fund, ensuring we can provide not only winter clothing but also cleaning supplies and other basics that families might otherwise go without. We always try to include a few surprises to brighten their holidays, but the heart of this initiative is meeting real needs in our community.

But our commitment to community goes far beyond the holiday season. In 2025, we proved that when we work together, we make our communities stronger. Here are just a few highlights from the past year:

• Supporting Local Youth and Families: MEC purchased fair animals and donated more than 2,200 pounds of meat to local food pantries, helping families put high-quality protein on the table while supporting youth in agriculture.
• Investing in Early Literacy: Through our community partners, we supported Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free monthly books to children ages 0–5. We partnered on a matching grant that raised over $21,600 and provided additional support, ultimately helping over 700 kids discover the magic of reading. That’s community dollars multiplied by partnership power.
• Strengthening Schools: Our Strengthening Schools Grants funded projects in over 30 schools, turning educators’ ideas into reality—from a 3D printer for coding classes to supplies for a therapy dog program, an escape room build, and communication technology for early learners.
• Promoting Safety and Opportunity: We delivered hotline demonstrations to more than 1,000 children and 150 adults and met nearly 1,500 students and adults at career fairs to spark interest in utility careers and STEM pathways.
• Neighbors Helping Neighbors: MEC volunteers served Thanksgiving meals to 330 seniors, raked leaves for eight households, and sent more than 80 care packages to deployed soldiers. We hosted digital literacy classes for about 40 individuals, teaching skills like telehealth and online safety so highspeed internet truly serves rural life. Behind every initiative were employees who gave their time—895 volunteer hours in all—while connecting with more than 360 neighbors at fairs and festivals.

These efforts aren’t extras; they’re essential. They keep us close to real needs, build trust, and ensure our service reflects the values we share. That’s the promise of “Better Together”—because when we combine resources, creativity, and care, we create stronger communities and a brighter future for everyone.

Community isn’t just something we talk about at MEC—it’s one of our Core Values, and it runs deep in everything we do. The stories and examples I’ve shared here are just a small sampling of the many ways our team shows up for our neighbors throughout the year. Whether we’re supporting families in need, investing in education, or helping seniors and veterans, our commitment to service is woven into the fabric of our organization.

We believe that by working together, we create stronger, more vibrant communities for everyone. Thank you for allowing us to serve you—not just as your energy provider, but as your partner in building a brighter future.

Candy Riem
Vice President, Marketing & Customer Solutions