Staying engaged in community causes
This article was originally published in our January 2026 Watts Up E-newsletter. To read the full newsletter click here.
OPD5 has long placed an emphasis on being fully involved in the communities it serves. District staff have traditionally made a concerted effort to support local organizations in both valleys and to help in their causes.
At the forefront of these outreach efforts is OPD5 Public Relations coordinator Kristi Eames. She often seems to be everywhere at once in the community, coordinating the district’s involvement in a variety of local initiatives and programs.
“OPD5 has always been active in the communities we serve,” Eames said. “As a locally-governed entity devoted to one primary purpose, we are not just some outside entity from somewhere else. We are your neighbors, friends, kids’ sports coaches, church leaders, community volunteers and more. We live here and we want to make our community better.”
With the help of local schools, OPD5 held its 14th annual food drive this year. School kids were encouraged to bring food donations to school during the drive. At the end, OPD5 staff made a visit to each school to gather up all the donations and deliver them to food pantries in each valley.
“It was a successful drive that helped our local food pantries get through the busy holiday season,” Eames said. “We appreciate the support we get from the schools and the kids each year in these efforts.”
OPD5 also supported the Parade of Lights organization in another year-end food drive. District staff showed up to ride in the parade on a festively decorated utility truck. OPD5 was one of many local organizations featured in the popular holiday parade. In the end, all of this community support resulted in more than 20,000 lbs of food being donated to a local foodbank.
OPD5 also turned out in support of veterans organizations in both valleys. District vehicles and staff were featured in Veterans Day Parades held in both Mesquite and in downtown Overton.
The district has a strong tradition of investing in local youth. In 2025, OPD5 gave a total of $16,000 in scholarships to graduating high school students in both valleys. We also offered valuable work experience to local young people in our internship/summer work program. In addition, OPD5 staff participated in an important College/Career Fair held at Virgin Valley High School with high school students from both valleys in attendance.
Finally, OPD5 continues to administer the Round Up For Education program allowing customers to voluntarily round up their power bill balance to the nearest dollar each month. All of these small change donations are then passed through to local high schools to help fund important educational programs.
“We recognize that our local youth are the future of our communities,” Eames said. “We value that. So we are happy to make investments wherever we can.”