Wheatland Electric Earns NRECA’s Chesnutt for Power the Pantry

SCOTT CITY–Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. (WEC) has received the highest recognition available in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) 2026 Spotlight on Excellence Awards program—the prestigious Edgar F. Chesnutt Award—for its 2025 Power the Pantry campaign.

The Chesnutt Award is given to the top-scoring entry in the Best Total Communications Program category, as determined by judges from nationally accredited universities and communications professionals in the private sector. The award is named for Edgar F. Chesnutt, who served as manager of corporate communication for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives from 1961 to 1987.

For WEC, this national recognition highlights both the strength of the 12-year-long campaign and the communities it serves across southwest and central Kansas.

“This campaign is a great example of how thoughtful, strategic communication can turn awareness into action,” said Alli Conine, WEC’s director of member services and corporate communications. “By meeting our members where they are—across digital, print and in-person channels—we were able to make giving easy, meaningful and impactful for communities across our service territory.”

Power the Pantry (formerly Cram the Van) supports a dozen local food pantries across WEC’s 14-county Kansas service territory. What began in 2014 as a traditional canned food drive to fill a red, extended passenger van, has grown into a strategic, cooperative-wide initiative focused on addressing food insecurity across the region in a more impactful way.

In 2023, WEC shifted its approach by redirecting its annual campaign budget into a direct $50,000 donation to partner food pantries. WEC then used a coordinated communications strategy to encourage members, employees, schools and business partners to help match—and exceed—that commitment.

In the fall of 2025, those efforts resulted in more than $130,203 raised to support local pantries ($1 = 1 lb. of food). Over two-thirds of contributions were monetary, allowing pantries to purchase needed items, reduce waste and respond quickly to changing demand.

The campaign’s success reflects strong participation across WEC’s service territory. Schools in Conway Springs and Great Bend, key business partners such as Tyson Fresh Meats and the Gifting Forward foundation in Great Bend, and individual members all play a role—demonstrating a shared commitment to supporting neighbors in need.

Led each fall by WEC’s Member Services team, the campaign combines digital outreach, print communications, community partnerships and in-person engagement to reach members across a largely rural region. The approach emphasizes accessibility, consistency and clear messaging to encourage participation at many levels of giving.

While national recognition is significant, cooperative leaders say the impact at the local level remains the true measure of WEC’s success.

“This recognition is a reflection of the people we serve,” said Bruce W. Mueller, CEO/general manager. “Power the Pantry demonstrates what can happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose. We’re proud of our team for leading this effort, but even more grateful to our members, partners and communities who make this impact possible year after year.”

At its core, Power the Pantry reflects the cooperative’s commitment to the Seventh Cooperative Principle—Concern for Community—and reinforces WEC’s mission of Delivering Energy for Life. As the campaign continues to grow, WEC remains focused on expanding its impact and supporting the food pantries that serve as a critical resource for families across its service territory.

View our video on the award-winning campaign to see it in action.

Because when communities come together, the impact goes far beyond what any one organization can achieve alone.