POWERGRAMS

"It's got the momentum of a snowball, growing and growing." That's how Glenda Harris describes the achievements of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) during the past 25 years. "It's amazing and exciting to see how far APSO has come," said the wife of former Alabama Power President and CEO Elmer Harris. She conceived the idea of the employee service club – incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charity on Dec. 28, 1990 – with a fledgling membership of executive wives and a handful of employees and their spouses. Today, APSO's 5,500 members are a charitable force across the state touching the lives of thousands of Alabamians each year. In a quarter- century, APSO has donated more than $8 million to worthy causes, assisted more than 150 nonprofit organizations and given more than 1 million hours of volunteer service to charitable groups. With members from the company's six divisions and employees of Southern Company Services, Southern Nuclear and the APCO Employees Credit Union, APSO's 10 chapters have strengthened the state's philanthropic landscape. When Mrs. Harris conceived the idea of forming an employee group, she didn't dream that 300 employees would attend the first meeting at Corporate Headquarters on March 4, 1991. When then-Vice President Anthony Topazi moved to Western Division in 1992, he and his wife, Patsy, introduced APSO to Tuscaloosa employees. Other areas of the company soon followed, with Mobile and Southern divisions and Plants Miller and Gorgas establishing APSO chapters in 1993. Eastern and Southeast/Farley chapters were organized in 1994, and E.C. Gaston Chapter was formed in 1998. Mary Sue Cain, who joined the Southeast Chapter its inaugural year and later was state president, said, "My original impression was 'What a great way to help the community.''' That was APSO's emphasis from the beginning. "Seeing the people we did projects for meant so much," Cain said. When she retired after 42 years, Cain continued to volunteer through the Energizers retiree organization. APSO provides employees a platform in which to passionately serve their communities and connect with one another in an atmosphere of camaraderie, friendship and team- building, said Volunteer Coordinator Tan Grayson - Community Initiatives. "When it comes to APSO, we offer something that fits the needs of our 7,000 employees," Grayson said. "Whether you're a seasoned employee or a relative newcomer, it doesn't take very long to hear about APSO." From assisting children's homes to building Habitat houses to sponsoring educational programs to taking part in fundraising walks and runs for community causes, APSO touches the lives of Alabama residents, young and old. It's fundamental: Families are first From the beginning, members had a strong interest in helping families. "It was natural that APSO's first statewide project was The Family Place," Harris said. Created in 1993, The Family Place offers refuge for out-of-town families traveling to Birmingham for medical care. APSO provides three furnished apartments at the Carriage Court complex in Birmingham, where families with a loved one who is a hospital patient can stay, free of charge. Tammie Williams, who attended APSO's inaugural meeting at the Birmingham Corporate Office, said the volunteer group appealed to her from the start. But The Family Place "sealed the deal." With this endeavor, Williams said, she found her niche for serving others: Tasks run the gamut from coordinating guest stays to ensuring the apartments have clean towels. "This is a ministry," Williams said. "We've cried with our guests, prayed with them, rejoiced with them when they received good results. It is great, just knowing our company is doing something like this. Our employees are ambassadors for Alabama." Guests travel from all over the U.S., and have checked in from as far away as South Korea, England and Canada. In 2011, every APSO chapter contributed to a refurbishing fund for The Family Place, Grayson said. Employees continue to provide toiletries, paper products and supplies, with Williams receiving occasional store gift cards and donations for The Family Place through intercompany mail. "I would like to see as many new touch points as possible with new organizations we haven't reached before." - Tony Smith, Gadsden Office manager 2015 President-elect Smith worked on a Habitat home in Gadsden. 100% CONNECTED 12

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