CEO’s column inspires students’ veteran coin project
Veterans Day, observed Nov. 11, is always meaningful to Vernon “Buddy” Hasten. He had a 20-year Navy career before joining the power industry and ultimately becoming president and CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation.
Last November, Hasten shared in “Thankful for Veterans,” his column in Arkansas Living magazine, that the occasion personally meant more to him than ever before due to a painful family tragedy.
“My nephew, Jeremy — an Army Ranger who served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, and a father — took his own life on his 37th birthday,” he wrote. “Jeremy struggled with PTSD, and while he had transitioned to civilian life, he ultimately lost the battle. Jeremy is missed and remembered by a large and loving family.”
Last year, as fifth graders, Luke Ajayi and Kevin Nguyen of John Tyson Elementary School of Innovation in Springdale, read Hasten’s column, encouraged by their teacher, Jennifer Boogaart, an Ozarks Electric Cooperative member. A regular reader of Arkansas Living (as well as a recipe contributor), Boogaart — the school’s Education Accelerated by Service and Technology (EAST) facilitator and the Gifted and Talented (GT) teacher — said she often shares the magazine with her students.
Reading Hasten’s column moved Luke and Kevin to devote a school project to the critical cause of veterans’ mental health.
In the duo’s self-made video about their project, Kevin said, “The article said that more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide every year, which is double the general population. … Buddy Hasten’s article inspired us to start thinking about what we could do to help.”
Pocket-sized support
Reading about the national, round-the-clock Veterans Crisis Line, Luke and Kevin aspired to spread awareness about the free service in a tangible, scalable way.
“They worked all year and finally came up with a product that they’re really proud of,” Boogaart said with a smile, her own pride for her students evident.
That product: Hope for Change. Through multiple attempts and redesigns, the two created a laser-printed wooden, quarter-sized coin attached to a business card. Both contain the same life-saving information: “24/7 Veterans Crisis Line, Dial 988 and press 1 or Text 838255.”
Their goal is to produce and share as many coins as possible, distributing them through organizations that care for veterans, as well as fire and police stations. Speaking of police, the Redfield Police Department honored Luke and Kevin with an Everyday Heroes Award.
Coins were distributed to attendees of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Directors’ Summer Conference in July in Rogers, where the students made a stage presentation about — and received a standing ovation for — Hope for Change.
While Hasten’s words initially motivated the students, Hasten said, he was equally affected by them.
“What an outstanding job by two amazing young men,” he said. “They did a phenomenal job representing their project, their school and their families, and they have a lot to be proud of.
“Our entire conference was inspired by Luke and Kevin.”
In return, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas wanted to help the students to produce coins and promote Hope for Change.
Senior Director of Corporate Communications Rob Roedel, who served as the conference’s emcee, shared a conversation he had with Boogaart. “I called her, and I said, ‘We want to help you guys. And she says, ‘No, we don’t want anything. I’m trying to teach them about service.’ I said, ‘We’re going to help you. Because we’re about service too, but service sometimes takes a little help, and this program is very special.’”
He presented Luke and Kevin with a check, asking, “Five hundred dollars. Do you think that will help you guys make some coins?”
“Yes!” both answered wide-eyed and emphatically to much applause.
It is the sincere hope of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas that Hope for Change succeeds and endures. After all, like Kevin said in their video, “Mental health matters. Veterans matter. Our project matters. We have hope that our coin will lead a veteran to make a change.”
Hope for Change coins can be acquired by contacting Jennifer Boogaart at jboogaart@sdale.org.