Utilities Give Back to Communities During Holiday Season

Due to the nature of their jobs, linemen make a difference in their communities day in and day out. During the holiday season, however, they often go the extra mile by participating in volunteer projects. 

For example, here are some ways that utilities helped out their communities during the holiday season. 

Lighting Up the Holidays at Jackson EMC
Jackson EMC employees, including linemen, came together from across the company to create a magical experience for children and adults with its Christmas parade floats. More than 100 employees participated in all aspects of the project, from building to riding the floats, from gathering candy to finding elf costumes and decorations. Parades began in Braselton, Florida, in mid-November and continued into December with festivities in Clermont, Jefferson, Commerce and Gainesville, Florida.

Southern California Edison: Giving Gifts to Children in Need
Hundreds of SCE employees gave presents to 31 Armed Services families in need during the 2019 holiday season. Each year, the military families let the SCE employees know what they need by filling out a list. These wrapped gifts are then dropped off at the Armed Services YMCA at Camp Pendleton.

Ameren Illinois: Supporting Food Banks
To help Illinois food banks keep up with the demand this winter, Ameren Illinois presented a total of $50,000 to six food banks in central and southern Illinois.

The contribution will help provide nutritious meals to families across its service territory. The food banks and food pantries include Midwest Food Bank, Central Illinois Food Bank, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Collinsville Food Pantry, Catholic Urban Programs and Southern Illinois Food Pantry Network.

“These organizations work hard year-round to make sure families who struggle with food insecurities get the meals they need," said Ameren Illinois Chairman and President, Richard J. Mark. "We are hopeful these donations will have a positive impact on local families in our community now and into the New Year.”

The grant funds were made available through the Ameren Cares program, which connects Ameren Illinois with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering. A key focus of this program is to partner with nonprofit organizations such as these to give back to communities across the 43,700-square-mile Ameren Illinois service territory.

Attention linemen: how did you help out your community during the 2019 holiday season? Email your photos and descriptions to Field Editor Amy Fischbach.