Plant Gorgas Electrical and Instrumentation Journeyman Wade Woods shops for Salvation Army Angels. (Terri Black)

Santa delivers his stockings on Christmas Eve, but Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) elves spend all of November and December stuffing them.

Indeed, the holiday season is always the biggest, busiest and best time of year for APSO members, said Gorgas Chapter President James Brown.

“We have so much going this time of the year,” said Brown, a mechanic-welder at Plant Gorgas. “We take part in the Jasper Christmas Parade. We have an Alabama Power truck, and our members distribute small toys and bears to give away at the Christmas Parade. These are plush, soft toys, and they go fast. It gives the kids something to look forward to.”

Gorgas APSO kicked off the season with a canned food drive, as well as providing backpack foods for needy students during Thanksgiving.

“The kids will be out of school the entire week,” said Gorgas Maintenance Specialist Terri Black, who has been active in APSO throughout her career. “We are providing Christmas gifts for 50 mentally and physically challenged individuals through the Tri-County Christmas party in December, too.”

Gorgas employees “adopt” the individuals, and buy the items on their wish lists.

“We schedule a wrapping party at Gorgas, wrap all the presents and deliver them to Tri-County,” Black said. “We also donate drinks and some food, and volunteer to set up, serve the food, clean up and break down tables after the party.”

A gift-laden truck waits for Santa delivery. (contributed)

Gorgas employee traditions include a “shop till we drop” spree to buy clothes and toys for Christmas Angels, sponsored by the Walker County Department of Human Resources (DHR) and the Salvation Army.

Brown said that Gorgas APSO’s successful golf tournament allows members to fill children’s wish lists.

“The tournament allows us to spend about $125 on each child,” Brown said about this year’s Angels. “We try to get their needs met first, then hit the wish list items. We bag up everything per child, then stop off at the DHR and Salvation Army. The parents and kids go to the location. The kids don’t know what’s in the bag, but they get that for Christmas.”

Specialists at spreading Christmas cheer 

Western Division APSO joins its sister chapters in making the holidays happier for the needy, said Chapter President Sarah Barnes. Western APSO, like Gorgas and other chapters, holds several fundraisers through the year.

“Our main push in the Tuscaloosa subarea has always been Salvation Army Angel Tree,” said Barnes, Power Delivery – Distribution engineer and project coordinator since 2008. “We usually adopt about 40 Angels to individuals or work groups within the Tuscaloosa Business Office and Tuscaloosa Crew headquarters, and APSO gives $3,000 to $5,000 to buy gifts for more Angels.”

Western Division Marketing Specialist Aimee Reynolds and Demopolis Office Manager Diane Brooker are project coordinators for the ever-popular Jingle Bell Run, supported by Western APSO’s South area. APSO supplies T-shirts for the runners, with profits – along with the race entry fee – going to the Demopolis Food Pantry. Last year, APSO donated about $1,300.

APSO member Cynthia Phillips, wife of Greene County Team Leader Keith Phillips, takes part in the Jingle Bell Run. (contributed)

The group also supports Angel Tree efforts for the Greene County and Marengo County DHRs. Plant Greene County Administrative Support Specialist Sha Torya Eaton coordinates the projects, providing children’s wish lists to Plant Greene County, Demopolis Office and Crew Headquarters employees.

Individuals and members of Western Division South adopt about 30 Angels. The South area also gives about $2,000 to buy bikes of all sizes.

Power Generation Analyst Marie Wilson said that APSO Western South area employees have “generously supported APSO in all of our fundraising events.

“It gives me a really good feeling when we have a good turnout for things, and we can give it all back to groups who really need it,” Wilson said. “We wouldn’t be able to do all the things we do without all of these people participating.

“We’ve done a lot of lunch sales and bake sales” added Wilson, project coordinator. “In April, employees stood at the plant gate collecting Change for Charity. We held our annual golf tournament at the Demopolis County Club in May. All of our efforts have totaled more than $13,500, making it possible for us to give back to our communities generously.

“We also did a Sips ‘n’ Strokes painting event – without the ‘sips,’” she added, with a laugh. “It was our first time to do this and about 20 participants showed up.”

Members of Western APSO’s Jasper subarea are partnering with the new Children’s Advocacy Center in Jasper, which counsels children who have suffered from physical and mental abuse.

The Jasper group will spend about $3,500 for children’s Christmas gifts and to provide meals for families. Jasper Customer Service Representative Lindsey Dill and Administrative Assistant Penny Graham are project coordinators.

Barnes said her chapter’s Northwest subarea annually helps the Fayette County Fair Board raise funds for Joey Day, a nonprofit group. Joey Day supplies clothes and toys for needy children, with help from the Fayette County DHR. Fayette Customer Service Representative Anita Cargile is the project coordinator.

“In December, our Fayette-area APSO members, with other people in Fayette County, will meet at Wal-Mart to buy gifts for the children,” Barnes said. “Everyone gets an information slip with a child’s age, sizes, wish lists and a price limit. They shop for the child, trying to gather all the items on their list.”

Hands down, it’s everyone’s happiest time for shopping, all year long, Barnes said.