For the past couple of years, the dedicated employees of American Electric Power’s Regional Service Organization West group have made it their mission to give back to the local communities near the site of their annual meeting. The team covers 17 plants across the Southwestern Electric Power Company and Public Service Company of Oklahoma service territories.
This year, their community service project led them to the quaint town of Avinger, Texas, home to Wilkes Power Plant. On Aug. 6, over 20 employees donned their work gloves and set out to revitalize the Avinger Community Park. Their tasks included the construction of a 20-foot pavilion, repainting and relocating playground equipment, and enhancing a pollinator garden.
“This project marks the beginning of our week-long summer meeting,” said Erik Eaves, Region Production Support supervisor. “We have volunteers from four different states here.”
Eaves, who was among 10 SWEPCO employees recognized for volunteer efforts this year, reached out to the local chamber of commerce to identify community needs once Wilkes was chosen as the meeting site. This led to a partnership with the 1936 Study Club, the caretakers of Avinger Community Park.
Gail Brown, the president of the 1936 Study Club, expressed her gratitude during the recent community service day.
“This means so much to our community,” she said. “We envision children celebrating their birthdays in this pavilion, and the newly painted playground equipment will be a delight for the community children. The entire town is thrilled.”
Jasmine Gilbert, at right in pink, brings over plants for the expanded pollinator garden at Avinger Community Garden. The garden was one of several projects employees with Regional Service Organization West did recently as part of the community service day that kicks off their annual summer meeting.
In addition to the construction and painting, the team expanded the small pollinator garden into a larger space. Jasmine Gilbert, a principal plant environmental coordinator, spearheaded this initiative.
She said they added “superhighway pollinator plants” like the Chaste tree, Coneflowers and Abelia bushes.
“They’re all native plants and beneficial for pollinators,” Gilbert said.
Several employees spent weeks preparing the park for the community service day, moving existing playground equipment to accommodate the new pavilion, setting up new poles, and installing fabricated pavilion trusses.
“It was an honor to host this group at Wilkes Power Plant,” said Pete Civitarese, plant manager at Wilkes Power Plant. “We are incredibly proud of the community service project they undertook, including expanding the garden, painting playground equipment, and building a pavilion at the community park. These efforts not only enhance our community but also reflect the spirit of collaboration and commitment to making a positive impact. Thank you to everyone involved for your hard work and dedication.”
This marks the second year that the employees have incorporated a community service project into their annual summer meeting. Last year, they screened in a back porch at a Tulsa, Okla. assisted living facility and built a wheelchair ramp for a resident in a nearby town.
Brian Sherrick, Vice President of Generation Shared Services at AEP, praised the team.
“This is a fantastic group,” he said. “We all live and work in these communities, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to support them not only from a Generation Power perspective but also to give back in a more personal way.”