From the Manager - November 2026

As November arrives and we begin looking toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it is a fitting time to think about the many ways we can give back to our community. One of the simplest and most meaningful ways to help someone in need is by donating blood.

Clay Electric Cooperative will host our 4th Annual Giving Thanks Blood Drive on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 1-5 p.m. at the Oil Belt Christian Service Camp at 555 Park Road in Flora.

Blood donation has become an important part of Clay Electric’s commitment to our community. We sponsor two blood drives each year. Our spring drive is held at Clay Electric headquarters in May, while the Giving Thanks Blood Drive each November allows us to partner with Oil Belt and provide another opportunity for local residents to donate before the holiday season.

Blood donations are needed every day to help patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatments, emergency care and treatment for serious illnesses and injuries. Blood cannot simply be manufactured when it is needed. Hospitals depend on volunteer donors who are willing to give a little of their time so that blood is available when patients need it most.

If you are eligible to donate, we encourage you to consider making an appointment. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 1-800-733-2767, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or using the Blood Donor App. 

Whether the person receiving that blood is a neighbor from down the road or someone you will never meet, every donation represents one person helping another. That spirit of neighbors helping neighbors fits with the cooperative principles that guide Clay Electric and with the season of Thanksgiving. We hope you will join us on Nov. 10 and help make our fourth Giving Thanks Blood Drive another successful one.

November is also a good time to make sure your household is prepared for changing weather. Fall can still bring thunderstorms, high winds and heavy rain, and winter weather will not be far behind. Taking a little time now to check your emergency supplies can make an outage much easier to manage later.

Make sure you have working flashlights and fresh batteries available, along with bottled water, nonperishable food, blankets and any medications your household may need. If someone in your home depends on electrically powered medical equipment, review your backup power plan before severe weather arrives and make sure batteries or other backup equipment are ready to use.

Portable generators can be extremely helpful during extended outages, but they must be operated safely. Generators should always be used outdoors and well away from doors, windows and vents because of the danger of carbon monoxide. Never connect a portable generator directly to your home’s wiring unless it is connected through a properly installed transfer switch. Improper connections can send electricity back onto power lines and create a deadly hazard for our linemen and others working to restore service.

In service to our members, our forestry crew will continue its important work clearing rights-of-way to improve reliability and public safety. Their work area remains the same as last month and is highlighted on the map included in this section.

Don’t forget to search for your member number in the center section of this magazine. Three lucky numbers are hidden each month in Clay Electric News. If yours is there and you call us, you’ll earn a $5 credit on your next bill.