The Real Impact of Power the Pantry

Concern for Community isn’t just our Seventh Cooperative Principle — it’s a commitment we put into action every year through POWER THE PANTRY.

When you hear that last year’s campaign raised a record-breaking $130,203 in cash and food donations — the equivalent of more than 65 TONS OF FOOD — it’s easy to focus on the numbers. They’re certainly worth celebrating.

But the true impact of POWER THE PANTRY can’t be measured in dollars or pounds alone.

• It’s measured in meals shared around the dinner table.
• It’s measured in children who head to school with a full stomach.
• It’s measured in seniors who don’t have to choose between groceries and medication.
• It’s measured in neighbors who find hope during a difficult season.

Every donation made through our fall campaign stays local, supporting one of 12 FOOD PANTRIES throughout WEC’s southwest and central Kansas service territory. 

Whether you give $20 OR $200, every dollar goes directly to the pantry you choose — helping local pantries respond to local needs.

“Power the Pantry is one of the clearest examples of what it means to be a cooperative,” said Alli Conine, WEC’s director of member services and corporate communications. “When our members come together, they’re not just donating food or dollars — they’re taking care of their neighbors. That’s the cooperative difference, and it’s something we’re incredibly proud to be part of every year.”

That spirit of generosity has even earned national recognition. Earlier this year, WEC received the NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION’S EDGAR F. CHESNUTT AWARD, the highest honor in NRECA’s 2026 Spotlight on Excellence Awards, recognizing Power the Pantry as the nation’s TOP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN among all rural electric cooperatives. 

While the recognition is an incredible honor, the true measure of the campaign’s success isn’t a trophy — it’s the families who have food on the table because neighbors chose to help neighbors.

This year, WEC is once again investing $50,000 to launch this year’s campaign, challenging our co-op members, employees, business partners, and communities to DOUBLE that investment through generous giving.

Since 2014, together we’ve helped provide the equivalent of more than 279 TONS (558,183 POUNDS) of food to neighbors across our service territory.

That’s an incredible milestone — but hunger isn’t measured by annual totals. It’s measured one meal at a time.

That’s why our local food pantries value monetary donations so highly. Cash allows them to purchase food at wholesale prices, stretch every dollar further, and stock the items families need most — from fresh produce and dairy to meat and other pantry staples.

Your support also allows pantries to respond quickly when unexpected hardships arise: a lost job, a medical emergency, an unexpected expense, and rising grocery prices. Whatever the challenge, local food pantries stand ready to help — and Power the Pantry helps ensure they’re able to do just that.

Throughout the campaign, our communities will come together through the eighth annual CO-OPS CARE CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT, employee giving, the GREAT BEND SCHOOLS COMPETITION, the CONWAY SPRINGS CARDINALS CARE CHALLENGE, online donations, business partnerships, and countless individual acts of generosity.

Every gift tells a story, a story of neighbors helping neighbors, a story of communities choosing compassion, and a story of the cooperative difference.
As a MEMBER-OWNED COOPERATIVE, we believe electricity isn’t the only thing that powers a community. Generosity does, too.

For every $20 donated through POWER THE PANTRY, you’ll also receive an entry to win our AMERICANA BACKYARD BUNDLE, but the greatest reward is knowing your gift will help ensure someone in your own community has food on the table when they need it most.

“The most meaningful part of this campaign isn’t the dollars we raise — it’s the reminder that no one has to face hardship alone,” Conine added. “That’s the kind of community we’re proud to serve and proud to be part of.”

Together, we can once again POWER THE PANTRY — and continue proving that when communities come together, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.