CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Appalachian Power and the AEP Foundation made a concerted effort this year to provide funding and support to the communities in which we work and live.
Those dollars were filtered to organizations whose mission directly aligns with the company’s main focus areas: higher education for students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), basic needs such as affordable housing and emergency shelter, and positively impacting communities through civic vitality.
One of the AEP Foundation’s most recent donations to the Renovation Alliance in Roanoke, Va., paid immediate dividends. Part of the funds donated went directly to helping purchase and install a new heat pump in the home of an elderly homeowner who had been relying on a wood stove to heat her home.
Renovation Alliance Executive Director Kendall Cloeter said that donations like the one they received from the AEP Foundation are key to their organization’s mission of improving the homes and lives of low-income homeowners in the Roanoke Valley.
The AEP Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organization funded through shareholder dollars by AEP and its operating subsidiaries, including Appalachian Power, donated just over $2.1 million to worthy organizations throughout Appalachian Power’s territory in 2024.
“Renovation Alliance has been incredibly grateful for its partnership with the AEP Foundation,” Cloeter said. “Thanks to funding from the AEP Foundation, Renovation Alliance has been able to address the emergency home repair needs of 18 neighbors in need in the Roanoke Valley area. These are 18 homeowners and households who, without AEP Foundation’s financial support, would go without heat or water or face another health or safety hazard in their home.”
Testimonials from neighbors who have benefitted from the Renovation Alliance
“It’s partnerships like this one with Renovation Alliance that remind us how life-altering these donations can be for our neighbors,” said Amanda Cox, Appalachian Power’s regional external affairs manager.
The AEP Foundation also contributed nearly $50,000 to food banks across West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee during a time of the year when contributions are often the most needed.
During this holiday season, organizations like Feeding America in southwest Virginia, Second Harvest Food Bank in northeast Tennessee and The Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, West Virginia, received monetary donations.
Employees added a personal touch to this giving season, volunteering their time packing boxes at food banks, riding the CSX Santa Train across Appalachia and decorating homes for the elderly to help spread holiday cheer.
“Giving back to our communities matters most to our employees,” Cox said. “We understand many organizations need monetary donations to help in their missions, but it always feels good to roll up your sleeves and connect directly with our neighbors.”
