Alabama Power Service Organization volunteers spruce up Pell City Boys & Girls Club
Volunteers from the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) rolled up their sleeves and got to work on Oct. 23, painting rooms at the Boys & Girls Club in Pell City.
Over the course of several hours, volunteers painted both the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, a rec room as well as the perimeter walls of the facility’s gym. The building that houses the club is owned by the city, but the club is allowed to use the space for its kids.
“They allow the club to use this place rent-free, which is a very big blessing,” said Craig Little, who serves as unit director for the Pell City Boys & Girls Club. “The city basically maintains it and folks like Alabama Power coming in today help spruce it up with the paint and whatnot.”
Armed with paint buckets, brushes, rollers and trays, APSO members painted the rooms in several tones of beige and white, cleaning up and brightening the spaces. Along with the painting, APSO also donated a large number of snacks so the kids would have something to munch on in the afternoon.
“I think that’s the most for me: just seeing people that we help,” said Arnita Woodall, who works in customer service at Alabama Power’s Pell City office. “That’s what the organization is for, to help people through service. You can get a lot of stuff done if you have someone help do it. The fact that Alabama Power allows us to take time off work to get that done, that speaks a lot for our company.”
The club sees 160 kids in its after-school program, with an average daily attendance of 125. The program operates Monday-Friday from 3-5:30 p.m. and features 30-minute rotating blocks that include educational subjects such as art, science and homework as well as recreational activities.
The club even recently started its own flag football league, which boasts six teams composed of 50 kids.
“The walls are always in need of some love and care, so people like Alabama Power help this club,” said Little. “I continue to tell them ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ but it’s because we’re so appreciative. We don’t have to raise prices when you don’t have to pay for people to come in and take care of these facilities and maintenance.”
Craig noted that the program could always use more volunteers to help organize the activities for the kids. Snack items are also in high demand, so donations are always welcome.
To learn more about APSO and its initiatives across the state of Alabama, click here. If you would like to know more about the Pell City Boys & Girls Club, volunteer or donate, you can find information at its website here.
