Hope Water & Light (HWL) staff, administration, and commissioners provided a warm welcome to local citizens this morning when they hosted this week's Community Coffee. The HWL team treated guests to a elegant brunch spread that was catered by Sheba's with a variety of appetizers and menu items, both savory and sweet, ranging from biscuits, ham, and coffee cake to boiled shrimp, fried mushrooms, fried chicken bites, and much more.

HWL General Manger: Admin Services, Charlotte Bradley, said the HWL team was excited to be hosting this week's Coffee, especially during this important week. "We look forward to this event every year," Bradley said. "This is Public Power Week, the week to celebrate public utilities, and this our way of saying thank you to the community and our customers. We don't want all of our interactions with customers to be just about paying bills. We invite them in to eat, mingle, and tour the building, because we enjoy getting to know our customers on a more personal level. We want them to know us, as well."

HWL General Manager: Operations, Russell Cornelius, seconded the statement. "We love interacting with the community," Cornelius said. "Our job is helping the community with their water, light, and now the broadband we are rolling out, but we also want to know our customers personally. We always enjoy hosting the Coffee, and we want to meet and greet as many people as we can."

Meet and greet many people is exactly what the HWL team did this morning as numerous representatives from local businesses, organizations, schools, civic groups, and more showed up to show their support. Elected officials, as well as candidates in the upcoming election, were also in attendance at the morning's event. All appeared to enjoy the inviting atmosphere, appetizing meal, and conversation with the HWL team as they celebrate Public Power Week.