Volunteering is part of the culture at UniSource, helping us realize our vision of improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

In 2025, UniSource donated nearly $411,000 in support of 108 local charities focused on education, community vitality and environmental stewardship. Our employees also contributed more than 7,200 volunteer hours to charitable causes, often with philanthropic support from UniSource.

The impact of our volunteering is both easy to see and hard to measure. By valuing each volunteer hour at $30-$35, the nonprofit advocate Independent Sector suggests that UniSource employees’ volunteer hours last year were worth close to $250,000.

For our employees, though, the real value is more personal. In recognition of National Volunteer Month in April, meet three active UniSource volunteers who have made a positive impact in their communities.

KW Mulcaire in Cottonwood

For KW Mulcaire, rodeo is a lifestyle.

As a Director on the Arizona Junior Rodeo Association board, Mulcaire dedicates one weekend nearly every month to competitions – traveling to rodeo grounds, setting up the locations, managing the sound system and logistics, and competing alongside his youngest daughter. Between competitions, he’s often training or coordinating the next event.

Through his involvement, Mulcaire arranged for a $5,000 UniSource contribution last year to the association. He also recruits coworkers to join him in volunteering at the rodeo.

“I like the lifestyle. There’s no participation trophy. You get what you earn and put into it,” Mulcaire said. “It’s the work ethic.”

Born and raised in a ranching family in the Cottonwood area, Mulcaire wasn’t much into rodeo as a child. But he got involved through his wife, Cory, who was in junior rodeo growing up in California. Cory serves as Secretary on the association’s board, in charge of collecting entries and memberships.

Mulcaire currently team ropes with his 9-year-old daughter, Ryan. Their nieces, nephews, and older children are also involved. His 17-year-old daughter, Clay, participates in high school rodeo; his 19-year-old daughter, Kylynn, competes in college rodeo through Cochise College.

“The rodeo association keeps it all family oriented,” Mulcaire said.

The UniSource donation helps cover essential costs such as facility rentals and livestock for competitions.

When events are held at Jackpot Ranch in Camp Verde, Mulcaire puts participants to work, asking them to help take ropes off cattle in between events and to assist at the ranch.

“I’m grateful for the support from UniSource. We need donations to run successful events and make it affordable for families to participate,” Mulcaire said. “I also appreciate my colleagues’ willingness to pitch in when we need it.”

Sam Caspe in Kingman

Growing up in Kingman, Sam Caspe and her siblings were always playing sports. From soccer to football to baseball, her father Bill Bonfield, a Fleet Maintenance Coordinator for UniSource, spent time volunteering to coach her siblings’ teams.

Her dad’s involvement in their sports inspired Caspe to begin volunteering.

While serving in the Navy, Caspe was stationed all around the country. In every new place she landed, she would volunteer. During her 10 years of active duty, she spent most of her time walking dogs at animal shelters and assisted in tours of the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia.

Now an Executive Assistant for UniSource back in Kingman, Caspe is deeply involved in youth sports and company volunteering.

A mother herself, she coaches her children’s soccer and baseball teams. She is also involved in supporting the Kingman Special Olympics and has helped with CASA Council of Mohave County, which supports foster children.

“I think it’s important to connect with the community so that they see that we’re not just a business that collects payments and provides a service,” Caspe said. “Volunteering helps show that we are actually people who care about their community like they do.”

And Caspe is in good company. Many UniSource employees are involved in volunteerism through coaching.

Employees can secure philanthropic support for their teams through Dollars for Doers, a UniSource program designed to reward volunteerism.  Employees who volunteer more than 20 hours a year are eligible to request donations from the company to the nonprofit groups they support.

Caspe helped her coworkers direct their Dollars for Doers towards the teams they were coaching, encouraging employees to log their volunteer hours and submit Dollars for Doers requests.

“I’ve seen my coworkers volunteer and I know that they put more than 200 hours a year,” said Sam. “I want to help them support the causes they are already supporting in a financial way.”

Through Dollars for Doers, employees have contributed more than $1,500 to youth sports thanks to Sam.

“We are a small town and knowing that this is a company that supports employees and the causes that they care about is really nice,” notes Sam. “It helps everyone see that we care about the communities we serve.”

Roberto Lopez in Nogales

Helping others is second nature to Roberto Lopez – on the job, at home, and throughout the communities UniSource serves.

Roberto is a Service Technician who has been with UniSource in Nogales for more than 22 years. He has participated in various company-sponsored volunteer activities, including sorting donations and handing out meals with Crossroad Mission, and creating and distributing food boxes to elementary school students and the elderly through the local food bank.

Outside of company-sponsored events, Roberto has donated blood with the American Red Cross every few months for more than eight years. He’s even convinced his wife and daughter to donate. He enjoys the updates that he gets from the Red Cross, which lets him know where his donation went and how it has helped that person.

“It feels good to know that you helped somebody or that you may have saved their life,” said Roberto.

Roberto has helped lead UniSource’s Community Action Team for more than eight years, rallying his colleagues to join volunteer events for the community.

“We are the only electric and gas utility down in this area and some people sometimes don’t have the best opinion of us,” noted Roberto. “It’s important to let people know that we are more than gas and power, that we also give back to the community.”

Handing out meals is a favorite volunteer activity for Roberto.

“It’s really rewarding when you see someone in need and see their faces when they get their food,” he said. “Even if it’s a simple meal, they are so happy.”

Even when he’s out in the field, Roberto keeps an eye out for customers in need. His job requires him to go into customers’ homes, and if he sees that they might need some extra support he will go out his way to make sure they get the food boxes or any other help they need.

“There are people who are hurting and need help,” he said. “It’s important that people know that UniSource is out there trying to help them.”