Technical Service Technician Matt Evans paid forward $500 to a local veteran in need.
Buddy Baldwin’s Waterloo home sustained thousands of dollars in damage during Hurricane Helene. The 87-year-old Army First Sergeant served two tours in Vietnam and is a member of the American Legion Post 25 in Laurens, which organized a GoFundMe site to help raise money for repairs.
Laurens Electric employees – especially those who work in the field – were greatly impacted by the devastation suffered by the co-op’s members and the community. Matt says, “With all the damage we saw after Helene, I wanted to help someone recovering from the storm.”
Funds from the GoFundMe account will be used to purchase supplies and volunteers from Post 25 will perform the repairs.
According to legionpost25sc.org, the American Legion is a patriotic organization of U.S. Veterans chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 with a mission devoted to mutual helpfulness.
As the largest veterans’ service organization in America, the Legion advocates for veterans, performs community service, and sponsors programs such as Boys State and Girls State, providing young people with leadership training and civic education.
To find out more, donate, or apply to join a post near you, visit legionpost25sc.org, and find them on Facebook at facebook.com/LegionPost25SC.
The Pay It Forward program began in 2015.
Every Laurens Electric Cooperative employee is entered into a random drawing to receive $500 to pay forward in any way they choose. Each month a new name is drawn, and the employee then has one month to apply the funds toward their own act of kindness.
This initiative is budget-neutral; the funds come from Laurens Electric’s charity events, which employee volunteers make possible.
