Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com

NORTHERN VIRGINIA—A group of Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative employees answered the call from Project Mend-A-House to dig post holes for two handicap ramps at homes in Triangle, Va., and Nokesville, Va., in March 2009.  NOVEC Hands Engaged in Local Public Service, HELPS, a community outreach group of Cooperative employees, took on the project and sent six volunteers with augurs and shovels to the homes of two families with special needs.

The volunteers were:  Robin Harper, Kevin Black, Patrick Daugherty, Tina Brown, Dylan Baggette, and Bob Bisson.  

Harper, HELPS activity chairwoman, said, "I do many projects at home, but the satisfaction of doing this project far exceeds my home projects. It just feels good to do something for someone else."

Bob Bisson, vice president of electric system development, agrees with Harper.  He said, "It was good work for a great cause."

Project Mend-A-House is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that solicits the skills of volunteer carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters and gardeners and matches them with people in need of minor home repairs and safety modifications.  For more information, visit www.pmahweb.org.

NOVEC established HELPS in 2008 to help Cooperative employees organize teams for community service projects.  In 2008, more than 90 employees and their family members and friends volunteered more than 1,050 hours to projects that benefit needy people in the six

Organizations that would like to request NOVEC HELPS volunteers must be tax-exempt under IRS section 501 (c) (3) and be health, youth, community, civic, or arts organizations.