February may be the shortest month of the year, but it's packed with special observances like Presidents' Day and Valentines' Day, in addition to a host of unofficial "national" days you've probably never heard of like "National Tater Tot Day." But they all have something in common. They were created to draw attention to a particular issue or theme.

Valentine's Day may seem like an observance originally created by a greeting card company, but over time, it's become a widely celebrated day generating millions of dollars spent on flowers, candy, and of course, greeting cards professing our love. But Valentine's Day isn't just for the lovebirds. It's also the perfect time to let our friends, family, co-workers and other special people in our lives know we care about them - with our without a store-bought greeting card.

So, in that vein, we've created our list of top five reasons why we love serving you, the members of Pella Cooperative Electric.

1. We love serving our members because, without you, the co-op wouldn't exist. Our purpose is to provide you with reliable, responsible, and safe electricity. Simply put, Pella Cooperative Electric exists to serve you. That's why we were formed in 1936 - to bring power to our local area when for-profit utilities would not.
2. You enable us to complete our mission by supporting our efforts to give back. A major part of our mission is to serve our community and look after the greater good. With your assistance, we're able to help give back to our communities through economic development opportunities, scholarships, youth tour, and your donations through the RECare to help our most vulnerable members.
3. Members of our co-op also serve on the Board of Directors. They provide guidance for setting co-op priorities and helping make big decisions. Because our board members live in the area, they're able to serve as the pulse of the larger community and identity immediate and long-term needs. The broader co-op membership provides helpful input through their vote on director elections and by weighing in on co-op and community issues.
4. You help us get it right. Pella Cooperative Electric members are great about keeping us in the know. We do our best to avoid power outages, but Mother Nature can occasionally throw us a curveball; our members are quick to report any power disruptions and are patient as our crews work to safely restore power. We know outages are frustrating, and your support as we work through storms means so much to our employees.
5. You and other Pella Cooperative Electric members make up the community we serve - and for us, it's all about community. Our employees live and work here too and care about our community the same way you do. We're invested and work to help it thrive. That's why Pella Cooperative Electric invests in our communities through economic development programs and scholarship funds.

As a co-op, our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community and look after its long-term interests. We love serving our members and our local community, and just like you, want to see it continue to thrive.