Feeding The Body And Soul
Every family needs a safe, affordable place to call home and nutritious food to grow and prosper. Housing is the basis of stability and security for an individual or family. It truly is a basic need and should be a sanctuary.
In fact, AEP encourages employees to volunteer through our "Feeding Communities" initiative. We have fed families at children's hospitals, participated in community service projects, and provided grants for initiatives like the Appalachia Service Project and urban farming.
We aim to support programs to eliminate hunger and make nutritious food available to all. Just a few of the ways we help includes:
- Food on the Move
PSO and Food On The Move have teamed up to tackle food insecurity and transform food deserts. Their partnership has already resulted in several successful initiatives, such as a container garden, an AEP Foundation grant, and monthly Community Food & Resource Festivals. PSO has also donated $51,100 to food and housing nonprofits and supported programs to help customers manage energy costs. The Feeding Communities initiative has benefited all three PSO service districts and has included volunteer efforts to address hunger and housing. - Mid-Ohio Food Collective
The struggle to fulfill basic needs can be difficult for many who live paycheck-to-paycheck. Employees participate in a Mid-Ohio Food Collective "Take Over" to help sort and pack food, stock shelves and assist customers who come to the local Market to pick up their food items. - Meals on Wheels
Volunteers across AEP join together to help provide the necessary nutrition for the elderly so no one is left hungry and isolated.
We also support programs that recover, repair and revitalize homes and communities.
- Habitat for Humanity
Across the enterprise, AEP and its operating companies have long-standing relationships with Habitat for Humanity to provide homes for families in need. Decent housing serves as a family's foundation for living healthier, unlocking more educational and economic opportunities, and dreaming bigger. The AEP Foundation has funded home projects in almost every region and is Habitat's largest and longest-serving regional partner in the central Ohio area. Volunteers from AEP work on the houses from beginning to end, from when the family breaks ground to when the family gets the keys.
Together with you, we are building stronger communities.
AEP and Habitat for Humanity (HFH) MidOhio have partnered to provide homes to families in need since 1996. AEP is the largest and longest-serving regional partner of HFH. The AEP Foundation has provided financial support to many of these projects, contributing over $3 million, 12,000 volunteers, and 78,000 hours to HFH MidOhio. The 25th home build was completed in January 2023 in the East Linden neighborhood, and work on the 26th home began in the fall of 2023. Volunteering for HFH projects is encouraged as it is both fun and fulfilling.
AEP and operating company employees and retirees donated much-needed items to the Life Hub Shelter, an organization that provides housing, employment, education, and healthcare services to help the homeless in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Employees from SWEPCO participated in a multi-day volunteer effort to box more than 424 pounds of non-perishable food items and fill 767 bags with fresh apples. In total, SWEPCO's dedicated workforce helped the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank package an impressive 10,640 meals.
AEP Foundation
We focus on improving lives from early childhood through higher education in science, technology, engineering and math. We continue to make a difference by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger.
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