Mitchell Plant workers get into giving spirit

MOUNDSVILLE --While many may pick out one charity to donate to during the holidays, American Electric Power Mitchell Plant team members lent their time and treasure to eight local organizations this season of giving.

Beginning collecting donations in early November, team members from the plant took the time on Monday to stop by each organization to not only deliver their donations, but also meet with each group to see the impact their giving will make.

During their second stop at the Marshall County Family Resource Network, Mitchell Plant employees conferred with Executive Director Kimberli Green. She outlined their donation of hygiene products, and a $500 check would help replenish their closet of supplies after the holidays.

With their hallways filled with bags of supplies for their Teen Christmas Gift Distribution, Green explained that refilling items after the gift-giving season was a tall order.

After handing out 272 bags of hygiene projects and clothes to Marshall County school students, Green stressed the importance of community donations before and after gift distributions

"When we have emergency calls of people that need things, we tend to fill bags for them to help," said Green. "What today's donation will do is help us replenish our closet so that we can still fill the need when calls come in."

The FRN's Christmas gift distribution and the ability to serve the community throughout the year "would not be possible without community members," Greene noted. Over the 10 years the organization has put on the drive, she explained, partners have stepped up to make gift-giving possible.

"This all is not something we could take on on our own," said Green. "We're very appreciative of everyone who helps us before and after big projects like this one."

Mitchell Plant Manager Josh Snodgrass explained that meeting with Green and other local organizations allows them to see how their donation will help. During their first stop at McNinch Primary School, Snodgrass noted experiencing "the whole point of the holiday" in helping take care of children and those less fortunate.

"We're just trying to help out and provide a little feedback to the groups in the local communities," he said. "The folks in the plant live locally, and that's the area we want to take care of."

The Mitchell Plant Christmas-giving trip has become a yearly tradition that team members look forward to. This year, stops included McNinch Primary School, Moundsville Middle School, Washington Lands Elementary School, Youth Services System, the Gabriel Project of West Virginia, the Marshall County Family Resource Network and the Haven Maternity Home.

"This is a company-wide initiative to give back to our communities that Mitchell embraces," noted AEP External Affairs Manager Erikka Storch. "Having such a large facility and key employer with that many people who embrace and live that giving culture is wonderful."

Commending Mitchell Plant Management Office Administrator Kelly Clemons for her work researching where their outreach is needed, Storch noted that the spirit of giving spreads from Clemons outward to the rest of the team.

"She finds out who needs what support, and then everyone else is all on board to chip in," said Storch. "All our team members get engaged to come up with who to give to and what to give."

The engagement begins in November at the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce Auction Night Tree Gala. The Mitchell Plant donates a tree to the event and bids on other trees they auction off to employees and contractors. After this kickoff of their giving season, Mitchell Power plant team members begin collecting donations for the local organizations selected for the drive.

Highlighting the efforts undertaken by the Account Department this year, Storch explained they sponsored 10 families this year to help out over the holiday season.

"To support the entire family is a huge undertaking with that many additional people," she said. "The accounting department and the rest of the company have done a great job of just looking for those needs in the community and addressing them,"

As they handed their donations to Green and prepared to head to the next destination, Clemons explained she was thrilled to see her and the Mitchell Plant's efforts expand beyond the Youth Service System, where they initially started their giving efforts.

"Doing this drive just gives us all a great, warm feeling to start the week with," added Storch. "We're two weeks out from Christmas, so it's just wonderful to see this group of employees be so dedicated to giving back to their community."