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Want more people to opt in for paperless billing? Jones-Onslow EMC Coordinator of Graphic Services Linda Mathiasen transformed a common promotion into a communitywide effort to fight childhood hunger. She shared her idea at StoryConnect 2025’s Idea Exchange, one of the highest-rated sessions of the event. Miss it? Here’s her story.
The Challenge
Moving more members to paperless billing would help cut costs and reduce paper waste, but the Utility Pioneers at Jones-Onslow EMC in North Carolina wanted to make the campaign about more than convenience. After hearing about the role of storytelling in advertising at StoryConnect 2024, they wanted to give members a reason to switch that aligned with the cooperative’s core values.
The Solution
The co-op teamed up with the United Way’s Children Healthy Eating on Weekends program, or CHEW for short. For every 500 members who signed up for paperless billing, the utility donated $500 to the CHEW program. JOEMC partnered with Pioneer Account Manager Anne Cook and the Pioneer storytelling team to get the word out.
By Linda Mathiasen
Jones-Onslow EMC found a way to make a difference in our community while increasing paperless billing enrollment. We wanted to tie our campaign to the cooperative principle of Concern for Community and show our members that small changes can have a big impact. That’s how our partnership with the United Way CHEW, short for Children Healthy Eating on Weekends, program came to life. CHEW provides bags of child-friendly, easy-to-prepare meals kids can make for themselves over the weekend.
Pioneer’s Anne Cook came up with some catchy slogans for us and the Pioneer team designed the social media posts, on-hold messages, videos, digital display ads and a two-sided bill insert. We also handed these out through the drive-thru and sent an e-blast, which had over 200 clicks.
What We Achieved
The campaign helped bring much-needed awareness to both paperless billing and the CHEW program. Despite the challenge of tracking results—new members were automatically enrolled in paperless billing—we had 237 existing members make the switch.
Though that might not sound like a campaign win, it really is. With just those 237 members switching, we saved $12 per member per year, which adds up to a total of $2,844 in yearly savings.
But the real success was the community engagement. Our employees volunteered for two CHEW pack outs. A CHEW pack out is where employees or other volunteers can go in and pack the bags, getting them ready to send home with the kids for the weekend.
In total, we donated $2,000 to United Way, directly supporting children in our area.
Why This Matters
This campaign was a reminder of what makes cooperatives special. It wasn’t just about reducing paper use, it was about living out our commitment to the community.
We’re thrilled with the results. Not only did we encourage more members to go paperless, but we were able to give back to our community in a meaningful way. That’s a win-win.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep finding creative ways to serve our members and give back. Because at Jones-Onslow EMC, we know that small changes—like switching to paperless billing—can lead to something much bigger.
Linda Mathiasen
Coordinator of Graphic Design Services
Jones-Onslow EMC, North Carolina
Want Help Sharing Your Story?
Pioneer’s storytellers help Utility Pioneers, including Linda, turn ideas and long-form content into easy to share and understand content. If you already work with us, ask your editor or account manager how to make your idea a reality. Not a member of our co-op yet? Email hello@pioneer.coop to learn how we can bring your stories to life!