Eastern APSO joins volunteers in carving turkeys to feed 3,000 on Thanksgiving
An APSO volunteer takes time to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. (file)
Above: Thanks to volunteers, including those with the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), Thanksgiving dinner will be provided to more than 3,000 people in Talladega and Coosa counties.
Call it a “Turkey Day” extravaganza.
About 40 volunteers, including eight members of the Eastern Division Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), carved 150 turkeys at the J. Craig Smith Community Center in Sylacauga. It was the first step in making possible a full Thanksgiving dinner for 3,000 underserved residents of Talladega and Coosa counties, sponsored by the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE) and Reaching the World Bible Church in Sylacauga.
The 13th annual Thanksgiving dinner at Reaching the World Bible Church in Sylacauga will feature turkey and dressing, vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls and desserts.
“Being a part of this local Thanksgiving tradition is so rewarding,” said Jacki-Lyn Lowry, Eastern APSO member and communications specialist – Eastern Division Office, Alabama Power. “Giving our time to help prepare the turkeys is just a small way we can give back to the communities we serve.”
Assisting with the project were Eastern APSO members Steve Marlowe and his children Grier and Tommy; Lisa Rinehart and her son, Tyler Hayes; Paula White and Blake Lowry. APSO is one of Alabama Power’s charitable arms, comprised of 5,500 employees of Alabama Power and Southern Company.
Helpers worked from 8 a.m. until noon. Afterward, several SAFE volunteers met for a “can opener party” – bringing their tools from home – to open the hundreds of cans of vegetables that will feed the community’s hungry.
“It would be impossible for us to pull off this luncheon without the help of volunteers from APSO and the community,” said SAFE Executive Director Margaret Morton. “The people who serve are so blessed. It’s such an outpouring of love for our fellow man. It becomes a real defining moment. People want to be there doing something positive.”
