In little more than two months, Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) volunteers and the Good Roots grant program have helped transform a vacant lot into Montgomery’s newest riverfront park.

“We had an ambitious goal of completing this project very quickly,” said Mike Jordan, area manager of Alabama Power’s Southern Division. “As a key step in connecting Montgomery’s Riverwalk park system to Maxwell Air Force Base and the only nonmotorized boat launch on the riverfront, we are excited about opening this park to the community.”

During the two-month project life, more than 40 APSO members descended on the 1-acre site on separate workdays – the first time to pick up litter and the second to lay sod. The project was funded through a $10,000 grant, matching funds from the city of Montgomery and volunteer and in-kind labor.

“Along with APSO’s heavy volunteer involvement and Good Roots funding, we have had a large amount of support from personnel at Maxwell Air Force Base and city of Montgomery’s staff to clear the lot, grade the soil and install irrigation,” said Jordan. “We are on course to complete the park by the end of April.”

The project is supported through the Alabama Power Foundation’s Good Roots program, which awards grants to communities and nonprofit organizations across the state to purchase and plant trees. In 2012, the program awarded grants totaling $24,000.

The Alabama Power Foundation has given more than $130 million through more than 20,000 grants and scholarships since 1989. One of the largest corporate foundations in the state, it awards more than 1,000 grants a year.

By Brandon Glover