75 years on, your Snohomoish County PUD is thankful — and proud to give back

By Snohomish County PUD

It’s a great time of year to reflect and give thanks, and we at the PUD are incredibly thankful for all of you, our customer-owners. While we try to show our appreciation year-round, it’s a good time to reiterate just how grateful we are as we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary.

We are proud to give back to the local communities we serve. As a public power utility, the PUD strives to be a positive force in the community and help those in need. It is as fundamental to our mission as delivering reliable power and water.

Since 1982, the PUD’s Project PRIDE program has provided one-time grants for customers who need help paying their energy bills. Project PRIDE stands for Providing Relief for Individuals Dependent on Energy and is a partnership with St. Vincent de Paul. Primarily funded by contributions from PUD customers, the program has distributed over $3 million to help local families and individuals in need.

Through monthly and one-time donations, Project PRIDE has received $83,000 in donations through September. Thanks to customers’ generosity, and aided by the project’s reserves, the PUD has been able to distribute 697 pledges for a total of $118,580 to help customers in need.

Last month, the PUD’s Run for Warmth 5K/10K raised more than $4,000 for Project PRIDE. Stay tuned for information on next year’s run and how you can help raise money for Project PRIDE just by signing up for the event.

If you are interested in learning more about or donating to Project PRIDE, or for information on how to sign up for a grant, visit snopud.com/projectpride. Families or individuals whose income is less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or who have experienced sudden income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are eligible to apply.

Another fun event we have coming up is our annual Helping Hands Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 8. Stop by our headquarters in downtown Everett and find an incredible array of gifts and goodies from talented local vendors. Many of the items are handmade and one-of-a-kind!

There will also be free hot cocoa and a chance to chat with a PUD commissioner and get your photo taken with our mascot, Zip. Ridwell, a local recycling company, will be on hand to recycle your old holiday lights and Styrofoam.

Best of all, a portion of the proceeds from the event goes to Helping Hands, which is a PUD employee-funded and employee-run program that assists low-income customers age 65 and older with their energy bills.

As Giving Tuesday approaches on Nov. 28, please consider a donation to Project PRIDE. The PUD and our customers in need will be grateful!

Holiday Bazaar

The PUD’s annual Helping Hands Holiday Bazaar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at the PUD’s Everett Headquarters, 2320 California St. Learn more at snopud.com/hhbazaar.