Alabama Power Service Organization volunteers spread cheer with Cheeriodicals care packages

Cheeriodicals inspires wonder among young and old alike. These boxes were delivered to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham. Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) volunteers delivered boxes to families. (Karim Shamshi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization’s (APSO) Western Division partnered with Uniontown Cares to hand out almost 50 Cheeriodicals on the morning of March 1. The care boxes went to the elderly, disabled and shut-ins in and around the Perry County community.
Uniontown Cares President Mary Schaeffer said the nonprofit organization had two goals Thursday: to distribute the care boxes but also to spend some time with residents.
“They are so happy to see a new face. Some of them don’t have many visitors. We have really nice people in Uniontown but, unfortunately, some of them have run into some hard times, particularly healthwise,” Schaeffer said.
Uniontown Cares volunteers worked with APSO members from Tuscaloosa, Plant Greene County and the local Alabama Power Business Office to deliver the care boxes. The Cheeriodicals included puzzles, adult color books, snacks and more.
The delivery route is routine for Uniontown Cares, which hands out about 250 fruit baskets to seniors each Christmas. APC Western Division Communications Specialist Anna Catherine Roberson said the non-profit was a natural choice for the Cheeriodicals project.
Alabama Power Service Organization delivers Cheeriodicals to Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
“They were already giving care package each year to the elderly, the disabled, people who can’t get out of the house and those with other kinds of hardships,” Roberson said. “We thought it would be a perfect fit.”
APSO volunteers also delivered Cheeriodicals boxes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (Magic City chapter) and young children at Hand in Hand Early Learning Program of Birmingham (Miller Chapter).
David Barry of Hand in Hand says, “The experience was great. To see the faces of the children when those colorful boxes were delivered…it was priceless.”
Katherine Estes Billmeier, CEO of Ronald McDonald House, said they, too, are grateful for the support of APSO volunteers.
“These partnerships help create these special moments that those families will never forget. We are certainly grateful for Alabama Power Service Organization giving us a helping hand.”