Issue link: http://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/274792
Thousands of Alabamians find themselves faced with the same challenge as Glenda Householder, shown here with her dog Sassy. Too much income to qualify for most federal aid, yet not enough income to realistically pay power bills on their own. C H A R I T A B L E G I V I N G Supporting Alabamians in Times of Trouble 1 3 That's where the Alabama Business Charitable Trust Fund (ABC Trust) comes to the rescue. Created in 1992 by shareholders of Alabama Power, the ABC Trust's mission is straightforward and often life-changing. It allocates funds to agencies in 60 Alabama counties to help low-income clients pay energy bills. The Trust also allocates funds to provide energy efficiency measures for nonprofit groups. The ABC Trust is a blessing to those who "fall between the cracks" of the formal system. In fact, the Trust's income guidelines are at least 25 percent higher than federal guidelines, allowing more people in central and south Alabama to qualify. In its generous history, the ABC Trust has helped more than 100,000 families with energy and home weatherization assistance. Most distributions of Trust monies are made by community action agencies (CAAs), which are organizations established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty. For its dedication to Alabamians in need, the ABC Trust received national recognition last year from the Community Action Partnership Foundation, which represents 1,100 CAAs around the country. It was the first time the award was given to a local or statewide entity (the winner is traditionally a national corporation). Nonprofits in Need In addition to helping our neighbors in need, the ABC Trust helps organizations with their energy concerns through the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP). Earlier this year, The United Way of East Central Alabama in Anniston, Family Resource Center of Northwest Alabama in Jasper and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson (part of the Southern Environmental Center) in addition to the Boys and Girls Club in Akron (featured on page 7) received NEEP grants to make their facilities more efficient. The goal of supporting these organizations is to help them reduce their energy costs so they have more resources to better serve their communities. Since 2007, the ABC Trust has awarded more than $600,000 in grants to 65 nonprofit organizations across Alabama.