Cleco gave away 1,500 blankets today to customers who are veterans at Kees Park in Pineville ahead of Veterans Day as a thank-you for their service, and in anticipation of colder temperatures in Louisiana.

Pineville, where Cleco is headquartered, is also home to the Alexandria VA Medical Center, which serves more than 100,000 veterans at the main facility and community-based outpatient clinics.

“Many of Cleco’s customers are veterans,” said Tracy Daigrepoint, director of customer experience at Cleco. “This is a small way to thank them for their service to our country and by making sure they’re warm this fall and as winter approaches.”

The blanket giveaway was part of Cleco’s customer initiative, Cleco Connects, that connects the company’s customer experience team with customers.

In April, the team handed out 800 box fans to senior customers in Bunkie, Eunice, Oakdale and Mansfield ahead of warmer temperatures to keep customers cool and help lower their energy usage. And in June, the team gave away 1,500 weather radios to customers in Mandeville, Slidell and Jeanerette to help them prepare for hurricane season.

“Throughout the year, Cleco’s customer experience team has looked for ways to give back to the customers we serve in meaningful ways,” said Andre Guillory, chief customer officer at Cleco. “Through Cleco Connects, we’ve developed stronger relationships with our customers by meeting them in their communities and also providing them with tools they need to stay safe during Louisiana’s ever-changing weather.”