Flippin' the Switch

S5 E12: The Season of Giving with Power Bucks and Onslow Community Outreach

Jones-Onslow EMC Season 5 Episode 12

Unlock the spirit of the season and learn how community kindness can light up lives through our latest inspiring conversation. Jennifer Rawls from Jones-Onslow’s Member Services Department shares moving stories about the Power Bucks program. Discover how you can contribute to easing the burden for those facing tough times by giving the gift of energy, whether to someone you know or anonymously. Jennifer’s hands-on experiences reveal the deep gratitude of those who helped and highlight the transformative power of collective support.

Hear from Krystal Phillips and Dr. Don Herring of Onslow Community Outreach as they open up about its life-changing programs. From the Caring Community Clinic’s vital medical services to the nurturing environment of the Christmas Cheer program, the outreach's efforts are creating paths to stability and happiness in Onslow County. This episode highlights the importance of volunteerism, and the collaborative efforts needed to tackle challenges such as homelessness and mental health. Learn how these initiatives provide immediate relief and foster dignity, choice, and joy for families during the holiday season.

Run Time: 31 Minutes

Speaker 1:

Welcome listeners to the 12th and final episode of Flip and Switch, season 5. We are closing out this amazing year, celebrating the holidays and the season of giving. I will be interviewing our very own Jennifer Rawls of the Member Services Department about Jones-Onslow's Power Bucks program, and Crystal Phillips will talk about serving our community with Dr Don Herring of Onslow Community Outreach. We hope you feel inspired to give back this holiday season and we send out a special thank you to our members for listening throughout the year. And with that let's start Flippin' the Switch. On this edition of Flippin' the Switch, we are celebrating the season of giving by highlighting our Power Bucks program, so of course we had to call in one of our trusted member service reps, jennifer Rawls, to break down all you need to know about helping someone in need this holiday season. So, jennifer, welcome to the podcast. Thank you, glad to be here. So before we get into Power Bucks, and just a background of what that program is, what's your role here and how long have you been at the co-op All?

Speaker 3:

right, my name is Jennifer Rawls and I am a member service representative and I've been here almost 13 years, so you are very familiar with this program, then Sure. Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

So just to get started, can you give us a quick overview of the Power Bucks program and just walk through the process of purchasing Power Bucks?

Speaker 3:

Sure, it's basically giving the gift of energy. It's a way to help others in need by making a payment to a specific member's account, or you can donate Power Bucks to Jones-Onslow to be applied anonymously to a fellow member's account. Also, you can give Power Bucks to a friend or family member as well. So for the person that has everything, this would be the perfect gift. And in saying that, we can email a gift card to you and also we can give that gift card to you in person that you can give to your friend or family member as a gift.

Speaker 1:

That's perfect, so you can get that gift via email, or you can still do it the old school way and give it to them physically too. We don't realize how the gift of electricity can really go a long way.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely yes.

Speaker 1:

And I give a kind of a helping hand during the holiday season to those who you know might be in the thick of Christmas shopping, which we were just talking about. It can be a little stressful, so just taking the basic needs out of the way, as far as how full your plate can get during the holiday season, I think this is a great program for that Me too. Are there any restrictions on who can receive Power Bucks? There are no restrictions.

Speaker 1:

However, the minimum to give is $25 with the power bucks so, while the holiday season is obviously a great time to give back, can members donate power bucks throughout the year?

Speaker 3:

absolutely, it's the perfect gift for a birthday or if you just know someone in the community that's having a hard time and you would like to purchase power bucks that can be again donated anonymously, or a gift, and we can give you the gift card at any point in time during the year.

Speaker 1:

Can you share any success stories or examples of how the program has made a difference?

Speaker 3:

Yes, so we have a lot of members that are on a fixed income. I remember one gentleman in particular that had incurred extra medical expenses that month. He had recently been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Wow, you could tell that his burden and fear in his voice was overwhelming and that his situation was a terrible situation. At the time. He was very closed off, if you will. He didn't have the money to pay his electric bill. I could feel his anxiety and I placed him on hold, checked the PowerBucks account that we have set up and I was able to apply enough to cover his bill. That's great. In that moment, despite his hardness again, if you will, his voice trembled and he broke down in tears of joy and was so humbled and thankful. In turn, I broke down in tears, of course.

Speaker 1:

Of course, yeah, totally.

Speaker 3:

And then, at that time, he mustered up enough words to say that he was just truly blessed.

Speaker 1:

That is so great, so that those anonymous donations really do make a difference, because if you are ever in that situation where someone's struggling to pay their electric bill, you can just pull up that PowerBucks account and bless them in that moment. So that is so fantastic. I'm so glad that we have something like that here.

Speaker 3:

Me too.

Speaker 1:

So what kind of feedback, outside of that situation, have you received from people who have benefited from the program and this can be somebody that's benefited from that anonymous donation or somebody that has applied a gift card to their account? Just what do you guys hear on your end about the program?

Speaker 3:

Just your gratitude thankfulness, people that are just humbled, blessed to receive the power bucks. They're struggling most often, so it's a weight lifted off of them to know that electric bills paid and they have power for another month, totally so I think it's just a true benefit and blessing and it shows the power of our community.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely. And like I said before, I think you know just going through the mundane monthly situation of paying all your bills, just removing one of those steps, especially in a time like this where you're neck deep in trying to purchase things for the holiday season or get ready to host family it just takes one thing off your plate, so yes. Or get ready to host family it just takes one thing off your plate, so yes. So, to wrap it up, where can members learn more or give to someone in need? There's multiple ways that you set up PowerBucks or give PowerBucks to someone else. So how can members get that process started?

Speaker 3:

Sure they can visit our website at wwwjomccom. We do have some great information on the website. You'll just go to our member services tab and then you'll click on the PowerBucks tab from there and it's again a lot of great information about the PowerBucks. Also, you can call the office. You can purchase the PowerBucks over the phone and we can again email you the gift card. Or you can visit our office and we can give you the gift card there, or you can donate anonymously. Our phone number is 910-353-1940.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. And just to clarify for members that may pay their bill online through our app, you have to go to the website, correct? That is correct, okay, so either call our office and speak with a member service representative or you can head to our website to read more. But thank you so much, jennifer, for coming on the podcast and telling us about this fantastic program that we have, and we hope that this inspires you to give back this season, whether it be through PowerBucks or any other way you want to spread some holiday cheer, so thank you so much, jennifer. Thank you very much for having me.

Speaker 5:

Well, in this portion of Flippin' the Switch, we are honored to have Dr Don Herring with us. He is here as a representative of the Onslow Community Outreach Program here in Jacksonville, north Carolina, and as we enter into the month of December, what better organization to highlight as a season of giving and helping others? So welcome, don. Thank you so much, crystal. It's a pleasure to be here. Well, we're happy to have you here. Can you tell us a little bit about your role and what kind of drew you to the outreach? Well, I appreciate that to have you here. Can you tell us a little bit about your role and what kind of drew you to the outreach?

Speaker 6:

Well, I appreciate that I've been involved in also community outreach for over 25 years Also.

Speaker 6:

Community outreach started in 1990 as just a soup kitchen, a group of individual citizens and churches coming together to help recognizing that start with simple food insecurity. One of the part of the foundation, in addition to the soup kitchen was Christmas cheer and coming together to help recognizing that start with simple food insecurity. One of the part of the foundation in addition to the soup kitchen was Christmas Cheer and that began even before 1990. So over the years we've been able to expand services there and with that expansion you know you get drawn into volunteering and helping serving others and being a part of that and involved in Rotary Club and other activities here in the community. And so being involved with Onslew Community Outreach was like a natural extension and being a part of that and involved in Rotary Club and other activities here in the community and so being involved with Onslow Community Outreach was like a natural extension and of course, anything that you're good at people find out that you want to help them, you get drawn in longer and longer you don't get to leave.

Speaker 6:

Sometimes you don't get an invitation to leave there, but it's been a real blessing to be able to give. I'm a product of Onslow County, my family's a product of Onslow County Schools, and so to be able to come back to the community and give and be a part of a community that prepared me for success is very gratifying.

Speaker 5:

I think whenever one in Onslow County thinks of volunteers they think of your family. You have a long legacy of volunteerism in your family, gene, so we appreciate that. Don Our pleasure. Legacy of volunteerism in your family, gene, so we appreciate that. Don Our pleasure. We know that you have been a part of the outreach for 25 years and that speaks volumes to what you think the importance is of their mission. Can you tell us a little bit about what the mission is of the outreach?

Speaker 6:

Yes, our mission is to really be of service to the citizens of Onslow County and, most importantly, to our neighbors in need and our neighbors in need and our neighbors in need. While it starts off maybe with food insecurity, also we have our neighbors who are either have inadequate housing or unhoused or, in many cases, homeless. Onslow county city of jacksonville, there's a lot of transition in this community. We have people who arrive with hopes and dreams and promises and those don't come true. And so part of our role there with with hopes and dreams and promises and those don't come true and so part of our role there with housing and housing services, is to help people either get emergency shelter if they need that is, to get temporary shelter which is longer than 120 days and sometimes it might include even a bus ticket to another area that they can have success in connecting with family or loved ones or community that will support that. So that's our part of our housing service. So I've talked about food, talked about housing.

Speaker 6:

We're very excited that, through the generosity of Dr Ken Morgan and all, back in 1997, we were able to start our Caring Community Clinic. So, in addition to food, housing, support there and all, we have a Caring Community Clinic. So in addition to food, housing, support there and all, we have a Caring Community Clinic. We also work through the generosity of Onslaught Memorial Hospital that we're able to partner with them and we help work with indigent clients who have trouble meeting those needs, those minimum needs for medical services. If a client of Onsla Memorials is discharged and they don't have the next place to go to or a solid handoff, we serve our shelter, serves us as that holding site to help support them there.

Speaker 6:

So, as an example, it's so important to meet their metrics of service is that, if a patient is discharged, is that they immediately get into their meds that they need and also get a follow-up and treatment, and so that was a missing link. Rolando's Memorial and the Caring Community Clinic has been able to fill that link. So now if somebody's discharged and they're deemed to be indigent and in need, we serve as their follow-up treatment and we communicate directly with Rolando's Memorial, and then we also provide the necessary shelter and support services, including food and all to get them back on their feet.

Speaker 5:

When you think about somebody you know years ago that wasn't available.

Speaker 6:

No, it was not.

Speaker 5:

So they probably would wind up back in the hospital pretty quickly. Yes, so you guys are kind of covering a lot of different needs there. One, the return to the hospital hopefully is not happening anymore because you're getting that long-term care.

Speaker 6:

Right no-transcript. Federal resources that come to our hospitals have metrics attached to them that they must meet to be successful.

Speaker 6:

One other area that we attempt to help them as much as possible is to cut down the wait in the waiting room. Oh, yeah, in the emergency room, excuse me, waiting area for emergency. Because, again, clients who have no medical provider and are in need of those services. A strep throat to them is an emergency, but not to the emergency room. So if we can help with strep throat sometimes it is either things related to diabetic or heart blood pressure issues that we can address then we quickly transition and provide that service and, again, trying to cut down the wait time in the emergency room, which is another metric of success for them.

Speaker 5:

Absolutely, that's an incredible service for people.

Speaker 6:

It's one we're very pleased to provide be a part of.

Speaker 5:

Well, it sounds like you know you've got housing, medical food. There's a whole lot underneath this one umbrella. Yes. So let's talk about kind of what maybe are some of the misconceptions that might happen at the outreach. Do people realize what all's housed in these buildings that you guys have?

Speaker 6:

Well, part of that is kind of our transition to our newest building. Now it's been a 10-year we used to be down at, located on 600 Court Street. We actually bought the old Smithelman building, the old Jacksonville department store. That was our first foray into the outreach and that's where we ran our soup kitchen and we had a very small shelter of 20 beds. And so, through the vision and the generosity of this community in 2014, we were able to purchase the 1210 Harkett Street building and everybody knows it and will know it forever as the Old Piggly, Wiggly and New River. But with that being able to purchase that building and then working through Quadra Construction and other generous donors, we were able to have transformed that building and so now it's like a one-stop shop. We have our administrative services there, our soup kitchen. We have a state-of-the-art soup kitchen that can serve well, we serve 200 meals a day. It has seating for 80, so we have kind of three shifts rotating through, and then we have also our 50-bed homeless shelter down.

Speaker 5:

Double the size, which is incredible.

Speaker 6:

And we have a receiving and distribution center there. So, as far as misconceptions, we really want to be the one-stop support element for clients in need, sometimes trying to they have in their eyes immediate needs and unique priorities and sometimes trying to address those and work with them. That's one of our challenges there. One other item that's kind of a misconception is that you know you've got plenty of federal money and other things and they can take care of it. You know we want people to understand that every dollar, every hour of volunteerism and all, we parlay that directly back to the client. People bring us goods that they're either closing out their house or you know a lot of transition in town, a lot of people are moving and all we take items in.

Speaker 6:

Well, again, we fully support and appreciate the nonprofits who run thrift stores and all that, but everything that we take in we redistribute either to our shelter clients or the new clients that move into affordable housing. Or every 90 to 120 days we do a community giveaway and some people say you mean that I'm going to donate items that are going to help somebody else, that are not going to be sold and all, and they really like that pass-through that we provide there and all. Now nonprofits have their own secret sauce of how they raise their money and how they go after their donors and all that. But I'm very pleased to reiterate how collaborative our nonprofits are working, and even more so as we begin addressing the deep seated elements of homelessness, that how we're combining, working with the County of Onslow and the City of Jacksonville working to the next level of how we're going to address homelessness. The homelessness issues that we addressed in the 70s and 80s and 90s are different in the millennium now Absolutely.

Speaker 6:

Who we serve, how we serve them, the rights and responsibilities, issues like mental health those now are challenges in part of service homeless. So many nonprofits function independently in a lot of elements but we're very collaborative in what we're trying to do to address the greater needs of Onslow County.

Speaker 5:

I think that's one of the testaments to our community is that there's no protection of just one self. It's all working jointly together to make everything better for others.

Speaker 6:

And also recognizing that, while we have a large and very fruitful military community, there is that even there are elements that we collaborate and support with the military community.

Speaker 6:

Sometimes that transition is really hard Right Anytime there's sometimes there's collateral damage. There are single families. They came to Jacksonville, married and now they're a single family, or elements happen. You know choices that our citizens make. They're not always perfect choices and all and so sometimes when we supplement with food or supplement with extra resources there, it's a gift of love and support to help them stay successful. And more importantly is that they stay with us in Oslo County and not be forced to transition elsewhere.

Speaker 5:

Absolutely. Now we are in the month of December and all of these services are outstanding that you offer and I think one of the I guess banner programs that you would say especially during December is Christmas Cheer.

Speaker 6:

Yes, christmas Cheer, that is one of the areas that we take great love and pride in. Christmas Cheer is really a true homegrown, locally supported and served program here in Oslo County, unlike other elements of service that kind of bleed beyond our county lines. I mean, when we look at Jones County and Duplin County, which are just, we have lots of need right outside the county line there that we help with in many areas. When it comes to Christmas cheer, that is in Onslow County, onslow County zip code, residents of Onlo County and more importantly is for the children. While we provide support elements for families and meals for Christmas Day enjoyment, we do this for the children. Our focus is on kids birthed through age 12, and then we as supplemental resources are donated and provided. We address ages 13 and above type of thing and you know the challenges of shopping for somebody 13 and above is just like a parent shopping for it, you know?

Speaker 5:

Oh, yeah, I get it.

Speaker 6:

So again we. But it's a wonderful program. It is completely community supported and community led there, volunteers and all. We have no paid staff to put together a Christmas cheer and it falls under the umbrella of Onslaught Community Outreach. It first started with the Department of Social Services but as it grew in the capacity of that, the outreach has seemed the appropriate partner for that and we serve as its fiscal agent for the audit support component there. And then we're also an area that provide for the receiving of donations and the distribution of the Christmas cheer items.

Speaker 5:

Now Christmas cheer is housed at the same building at Hargis.

Speaker 6:

Street yes. 1210 Hargis Street yes, ma'am.

Speaker 5:

And let's talk a little bit about how the community could be involved with Christmas cheer. Now, I know, when I was back in high school, many, many ages ago, I volunteered at Christmas Cheer, stocking the shelves and going and helping people shop, which was a big deal. Is that still happening?

Speaker 6:

Oh, yes, even in the millennium we continue to function with the Christmas Cheer model, even the application process. People do apply for Christmas Cheer. There are a lot of wonderful Christmas outreach programs throughout Onslaught County by nonprofits and churches and all where people drive up and here's a box and here's some toys. But people actually apply for this and so it helps us to level. So we serve the whole range of need. But we know those are our most critical need by what they reflect to us and their bills or challenges and all that. And then we function all the way through Everything from full carload of toys to a simple box of food. But we do provide so they do apply for it.

Speaker 6:

The second item is that from these applications we're able to determine how many toys and items that we need and family items and all, and we really are working toward finding those items that strike a common good with those young ladies and gentlemen there and all. But we do recognize that some want some dolls and some want some motorized cars to play with and all, like anything else, we're always challenged to find the best value. We do some early shopping. There's nothing to be shopping in stores at 1 o'clock in the morning. They let us in when they're trying to get everybody else out so we can process and all but to the point. We're trying to stretch every resource we can to make Christmas Day. No child should wake up in Oslo County.

Speaker 5:

And not have a gift under the tree. Correct, it's true, and I think you know there's something special about that moment whenever you get to take somebody that you know a mom or dad that may not have been able to provide Christmas to their kid and you take them through and let them shop. It gives them a lot of dignity.

Speaker 6:

Yes, that's probably a most overwhelming feeling that the clients appreciate is, first of all, is that they have choice and that I'm able to pick out based on what we have donated. We always start out. You know, we're about to go around this curtain here, we're going to go into an area here, and these are all items that have been donated by this community. Best we can, let's find something to make you or children happy, and I'm very, very, very seldom do we not put a big smile on the face of those? Every now and then there's some people looking for a certain branded item and we do live in a society of branded items and all but people are genuinely appreciative of what they get and they're very excited and they're looking forward to getting a home and getting them wrapped and all and creating a Christmas moment for their children that morning, one of those core life memories for those kids.

Speaker 5:

Yes, yes, ma'am.

Speaker 6:

And again it's a whole learning process for everybody who volunteers with us, because they may roll these toys out to a very beautiful car and somebody says, well, how can they have a beautiful car and need toys? Kids don't always are in charge of the choices that their parents make, and so kids have to relate to that, and so when volunteers come back in with questions, we take that moment to talk about. They wouldn't be here if they weren't eligible.

Speaker 5:

Exactly, and I think you know sometimes what you see on the outside is not always what's going on Correct Behind closed doors.

Speaker 6:

There's a lot of. It's tough for people to let their guard down, their image down, when they're in need. Oh yeah, the dignity, as you spoke of earlier, is that dignified process and all and everything at Christmas. Cheer is happy and all, even handling stress, we try to make happiness out of that.

Speaker 5:

If you go to volunteer ever at Christmas Cheer, I can tell you it is a happy place. The people that are there want to be there and they're trying to really make a big difference for others.

Speaker 6:

Many times we have parents who bring their children and or grandchildren in to model volunteerism. You know, we're not born to volunteer. We have to see it or get involved in it and be moved by it to want to help others.

Speaker 5:

That's absolutely true. Now I know there are lots of needs for Christmas cheer. You know we see them on Facebook or online or someone will ask can you tell us what some of the needs might be for Christmas cheer?

Speaker 6:

There's always a need for dolls. People always tell me be careful how you say it, dawn, but people want to open a Christmas present that reflects themselves. So when I say dolls of color or dolls of ethnicity that reflect the environment that these kids are growing up in, we have several of our large black sororities and fraternities to help us reach that goals, and all We've had many in our Latino support communities who've helped us reach those resources, and it's for that very purpose is to help them know that Christmas is for that child and to include some of their individual needs.

Speaker 5:

They can see a little bit of themselves in that Exactly.

Speaker 6:

Again. We're also learning in today's society that we need some flexibility which, like the Red Cross, said the best.

Speaker 6:

Thing you can give us sometimes is money. Not that we turn around and give that money to them just like that, but it does help us transition. Sometimes we have to use certain gift cards, and all to help. Usually teens past 13 would prefer a gift card than us trying to shop on their behalf and, in a way, to be able to empower a young person to make a choice with that. We all we work with several of our corporate groups here when they we do buy gift cards and all we're able to, you know, either enable or disable a gift card so that it only buys certain elements with that card. Oh, that's nice yeah.

Speaker 6:

Yes, you didn't think you'd have to limit a gift card. We shouldn't be buying alcohol, ammo, other things like that.

Speaker 6:

But these gift cards, you can't do that. You can only buy more appropriate items and all and so, just again, empowering young people with that, just again empowering young people with that most. Any kinds of toys, um, we, we do very well with our, very our birth, through ages five or six, but as we get in those, um, that, that age, that eight to twelve age, um, and gifts, uh, toys now are no longer into single digit numbers no, they are not they are not.

Speaker 6:

Uh, matter of fact, the twenty dollar bill is the new $1 and $5 bill in many things related to toys and all, and so it's even a fun little motorized car, which is amazing what they can do, how they build it for $25, I don't know, but still it's $25. And so any multiplier of that. If you have somebody with three children and you're trying to get three to eight gifts for that type of thing, the multiplier picks up quickly. So again, we partner with Toys for Tots and so we do get a percentage of our toys. And because we're so involved with the military population, that's why we qualify oh nice, Because we help many single-family Marines and they are very appreciative of that.

Speaker 5:

Now, if someone would like to volunteer during Christmas year, how do you take care of that?

Speaker 6:

Yes, so we partner with Volunteer Onslow, which is through United Way. Coordinates that again, that collaboration, so people can go through Volunteer Onslow to get involved. People can also call directly to Onslow Community Outreach and I'll be glad to share a number too at the end there, such that they can volunteer. I want to sign up for volunteer time and all as we get closer to Christmas. Our distribution will be the week before Christmas. Our distribution gets pushed close, of course, this year.

Speaker 2:

Thanksgiving comes, late Christmas comes earlier.

Speaker 6:

It feels like same dates, just feels earlier. But Toys for Tots has to do a massive collection and distribution process so we don't receive any of our toys until after the 15th of December from them. So we're also hedging on what we're getting from Toys for Tots as one group, and so we appreciate the donations that we get along the way there. Many times, once a person visits with us and walks through and says what do you need up, it's that cycle begins pretty quick. Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 5:

So Christmas cheer obviously is a huge undertaking, and there are lots of things in your little toolbox that you guys are taking care of each and every day. As you look forward, what do you think is on the horizon for the outreach?

Speaker 6:

Well, we're very excited to be partnering with a new initiative coming through North Carolina Medicaid, and, a matter of fact, north Carolina has been just been announced as having the one of the most innovative service delivery models for Medicaid applicants Recently here. In the past two years, north Carolina has become we're now receiving Medicaid funds there. They weren't channeled to receive those previously, but now, through bipartisan support, their Medicaid funds do come to North Carolina, and North Carolina really hit a home run with itsOP program, healthier Opportunity Pilot Program, and so we're learning that there are certain social determinants that affect people's health that don't even include medicine the quality of food that they have, the quality of where they live, the availability of transportation, and other social determinants like that help people improve their health. And so we're helping interiors with housing support, housing improvement and with food support, and so that's new on the horizon for us, that we're participating as a member there, and we will have the capacity to serve over 800 additional clients here in Onslow County and in surrounding counties beyond Onslow.

Speaker 6:

I like these things that can bleed over, because Maysville is just right down the street from here. They need help too. Yes, yes, all of our neighbors in need just because they're across the county line, so this will be a wonderful element. We already have started in it and we'll continue to grow and expand that. And it's just been announced that the HOP program will continue to expand statewide. We were part of one of the innovative pilots, but we've been guaranteed a five-year contract going forward, so it allows us to make some 20-year plans. But you make these plans to do a great service to people. You have to look ahead. Oh, yes, look ahead and all Absolutely Well.

Speaker 5:

I know that the outreach is near and dear to a lot of our members' hearts, and so, just to kind of put a bow on it, I would definitely like to encourage all of our members to one, consider volunteering if they haven't already. Two, most certainly make some sort of donation if you have the ability to do that, whether it's a toy or money, just something of your time or treasures, possibly, especially in the season of giving. And then, if you are a member that might be in need or have fallen on a little bit of hard times, consider reaching out to the outreach. You guys are a plethora of knowledge, so if you can't help them, you most certainly can refer them to the proper place. So let's give them the contact information that they can reach the outreach.

Speaker 6:

Contact information for additional services is 910-787-1076. And we're very fortunate we have Ms Rachel Bell who is our volunteer coordinator and resource coordinator and she plays a large role in that, so I'll do that number once again 910-787-1076.

Speaker 5:

Well, Don, thank you so much for being here today. I know that for a person that's in our community that has fallen on hard times and that has to go to the outreach, that's not always an easy thing to do to ask for help, but it sure is great to have a smiling face like yours and all the staff at the outreach to be there to help them. So thanks, Don.

Speaker 6:

Thank you so much, crystal, it's been a pleasure.

Speaker 2:

Tis the season for lots of mail cards and packages. It can be easy to overlook a bill, so our little elves suggest going paperless. Once you go paperless, we'll email you a monthly bill notification. It's convenient, secure and easy to set up. Simply head to joemccom and register. If you have any questions, simply give one of our member service elves a call. Santa says tis the season to also go paperless with JOEMC.

Speaker 4:

Well, folks, that'll do it for this episode of Flippin' the Switch Until next time. If you don't currently follow us on Facebook, instagram or any of our other social media channels, consider doing so. It's the best way to keep informed about what's going on with your cooperative. Thanks again.