Your Small Change Makes a Big Difference in Our Communities
Ray Zegley grew up in the 4,300-person community of Minersville, Pa.
His dad worked alongside many of his neighbors in mining anthracite coal from deep in the Northeast Pennsylvania earth.
Over the past half century, Zegley has come a long way from
that mining town. But the lessons he learned there — caring for community, giving back, service — continue to guide him to this day.
After attending West Point Military Academy, he spent 21 years in the Army. He then worked 16 years as a program manager for Lockheed Martin in Northern Virginia.
When he retired to the Rapidan community of Culpeper County, he joined the Planning Commission, where he hoped to serve his new neighbors in maintaining the beauty and open spaces the region is known for.
That’s where he met REC Board member Sanford Reaves Jr., who asked Zegley if he’d want to do even more to help his community.
That led Zegley to join the CARE Charity Board, which oversees funds distributed through The Power of Change. He represents the counties of Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper and Madison.
“We were talking and Sanford said, ‘How’d you like to get more involved?’” Zegley recalled.
He has no regrets about saying yes.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to tell our community that funds are available to them and then to be able to sit down and decide the best place to allocate the money that has been donated,” he said. He also enjoys listening to the perspectives of the other CARE Charity Board members.
Zegley has a soft spot for supporting nonprofits that feed the hungry, support veterans or enhance the lives of children and families. He makes a point of reaching out to local organizations to educate them on the funds available through The Power of Change.
He is especially proud of contributions made to the St. Stephen’s Food Closet in Culpeper; the Paul Stefan Home for women in crisis in Orange; and free clinics in Madison and Culpeper.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said, “to be able to give out a check and just see how grateful the recipients are.”
He encourages all REC members to contribute.
“It’s very little monetary commitment, but if enough people enroll the amount of money we can award is very significant. There’s power in numbers. The more people who sign up to give just a little bit each month, the more we are able to give out to help our communities.”
Fun fact: Zegley has been playing electric guitar since high school — and still plays to this day. The instrument served him well. In his junior year of high school, he taught lessons to a classmate and they started dating. They married, had three children and now have six grandchildren.
About The Power of Change
Each month, more than 35,000 REC members round up their electric bill to the next whole dollar. The donated funds are then awarded to nonprofits and charities that support our communities.
Enroll today: Your small change — the average monthly donation is just 52 cents — makes a big difference. The more members who enroll, the more money is given out.
Learn more and enroll today: myrec.coop/donate