New Fort Mill resident receives $1,000 electric credit.
When Claudia Mady got the call she was the 50,000th customer to sign up for services from the York Electric Cooperative, she wondered if it was a scam.
After all, the 71-year-old Mady had not even finished moving from her Indian Trail, N.C., home to her new house in the Mulberry Village area off Regent Parkway in Fort Mill.
Mady called the cooperative’s office on U.S. 21, where she had just arranged services. A representative said she wasn’t aware of any special recognition and encouraged Mady to call the York County Sheriff’s Office.
She did.
But before a detective could call her back, someone from the cooperative called. Yes, it was legitimate, she was the firm’s 50,000th customer. And yes, they wanted to say, “Thank you.”
“Then,” Mady said, “I got excited.”
On Tuesday, the cooperative did say, “Thank you,” giving Mady a $1,000 credit on her electric bill and a check for $500 to donate to her favorite charity.
Mady is partial to The Heart Fund and the American Cancer Society, but she asked Paul Basha, president and chief executive officer of the cooperative, if there were any local “needs that were being overlooked.” Mady wanted to make the donation to someone in her new community.
Basha told her about the work the Fort Mill Care Center does, especially its focus on helping those in need with their power bills.
“Then that’s where it’s going,” Mady said.
The generosity and professionalism of the cooperative impressed Mady, affirming that she was making the right move.
“This is a new home, a new opportunity and a new beginning for me,” she said.
Mady had been planning a move for about four years after her husband died. Her daughter, Rebecca Stitt, had moved to the Steele Creek community outside Charlotte, and Mady wanted to be closer to her.
Her housing search was simple: She wanted a small ranch home so she didn’t have to climb steps. It had to have a garage and it had to be near stores and other services – she didn’t want to drive on the freeway to get to things.
Mady found several possible homes, but was outbid each time. Then her real estate agent got notice of the Mulberry Village home one morning. By 5 p.m. Mady had submitted an offer, and this time she was not outbid.
To hook up its newest customer, the cooperative turned to one of its most experienced technicians. Vic Wilform has been installing, disconnecting and restoring electric power for the cooperative for 43 years. He plans to retire next year.
Once Wilform turns on the power, Mady will start unpacking her boxes and starting her new life. A former librarian, Mady plans to continue reading newspapers and books – “my love of life.”
She also described herself as a “great volunteer person,” assisting those who need “help along the way.”
“It’s time for me to find new niches now.”
BY DON WORTHINGTON
dworthington@heraldonline.com
Source: The Herald