Aiken Electric Cooperative, Inc.

WIRE (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) was created as a non-profit organization to foster interest in and understanding of the rural electric program and to improve the quality of life in rural areas. WIRE chapters are established by local electric cooperatives to work within their own service area. WIRE members raise funds and participate in a variety of community projects throughout the year that benefit organizations such as Helping Hands, Tri-Development Center, United Way of Aiken County and several other causes.

• AEC members • AEC employees and employees' wives • AEC directors and directors' wives • Retirees formerly associated with electric cooperatives

We have miscellaneous monthly initiatives in addition to our annual sponsorships and donations that support a variety of causes. Some of these are conducted internally at Aiken Electric Cooperative and some are open to the public. Here a few listed below: Homemade Valentines Cards for Selected Nursing Home Canned Food Drive – May the best football team win! Socktober – Collect socks for Nursing Homes & Salvation Army Christmas Caroling – one nursing home in Aiken, Edgefield and North area. We provide blankets, socks, and homemade cards created by schools in our area.

To celebrate Easter we collect baskets for the local United Way initiative “Be A Bunny”. This initiative provides baskets that contain sugar free candy, socks, candles, puzzle books, etc. for elderly members in Aiken County and brightens their holiday!

WIRE hosts a yard sale in the spring and fall for our community members; it is the perfect opportunity to turn one person’s trash into another person’s treasures. The Salvation Army truck arrives at the conclusion of the yard sale to take any of the remaining unwanted items. All money raised from this fundraiser goes into our general fund that helps us make donations to local agencies like Helping Hands, FOTAS, Aiken County Veterans and others.