A week-long hospital stay would wear anybody out. And after returning from a much needed surgery in Topeka, Heather was exhausted. To be honest, I wasn’t far behind her.

Thankfully, we lived in small-town Kansas. And that meant we weren’t alone.

“Ding-dong!”

Every day for a week, friends and neighbors showed up at the door with dinner. Each day, a new face and a new set of hands arrived, wanting to know how things were going and making sure we knew we could count on them if we needed anything.

I was touched. I was floored. I was a little embarrassed when it took me forever to return the empty dishes.

But most of all, I was reminded that I had great neighbors. The kind that could be depended on, even when times were tough. Especially then.

That’s the kind of neighbor we all want.

And that’s the kind of neighbor that LPC works hard to be.

We know that a lot of things have turned upside down for everybody these days thanks to the COVID-19 response nationwide. Workplaces have shifted. Venues have closed. Folks are taking extra precautions to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.

But through it all, we’ve been making sure that some important things haven’t changed at all.

The demand for our electric power hasn’t lessened. And our crews have been working to keep it the same dependable power that we’ve always been recognized for.

The demand for our NextLight internet service has actually increased, with data peaks up 15% since the first coronavirus measures hit Longmont. And our teams have been working to keep those connections as fast and reliable as ever.

Sure, we’re being careful like everyone else. We have call center folks working from home, crews being alert for their social distancing, and a number of other steps being taken to keep everybody’s health intact. That’s important.

But we’re your utility – community-owned and community-based. And that means we’re your neighbor, too. The kind that’s there in good times and bad, ready to help, bringing what you need.

You don’t even have to return a casserole dish afterward.