Alabama Power volunteers brighten back-to-school season for students, families

By: Donna Cope

Before students across the state headed back to class, Alabama Power volunteers were already at work donating school supplies, filling backpacks, painting schools and beautifying the grounds while helping families prepare for the year ahead.

From Mobile to Birmingham and Selma to Sylacauga, hundreds of members of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) focused on one shared mission: investing in children through service projects that support students, teachers and schools.

In southwest Alabama, APSO Mobile Division and Mobile Energizers partnered with schools, nonprofits and community groups to distribute supplies and encourage students before the first bell rang. Volunteers joined the Karing Kastle Foundation for a community uniform giveaway in Saraland and donated supplies during the Tillmans Corner Community Center’s All-American Kids Day.

The chapter also provided clear backpacks filled with classroom essentials for students at J.U. Blacksher School in Uriah.

“Serving our communities is at the heart of what we do, and opportunities like this allow us to make a meaningful difference beyond the workplace,” said Brittany Dinc, customer account specialist for Customer Operations at Alabama Power’s Mobile Division Office.

Linda Tipp, president of the Mobile Energizers Chapter, said members hope their donations help students “feel confident, prepared and ready to succeed.”

Nearby, APSO Plant Barry volunteers spent the final days of summer cleaning and beautifying school campuses. At McIntosh High School, volunteers painted hallways, cleaned grounds and refreshed flower beds, and another Plant Barry team continued a multiyear effort to revitalize the learning garden at Lee Elementary School in Satsuma.

APSO Plant Barry members collected school supplies for students in Mobile and Washington Counties, donating everything from notebooks and crayons to tissues and disinfectant wipes.

In Birmingham, APSO Magic City volunteers partnered with nonprofit ACTS4C for a school supply giveaway at Jones Valley Middle School that served about 100 students. Families were treated to food, fun and activities while Alabama Power volunteers distributed backpacks and classroom essentials.

The chapter also supported Vineyard Family Services’ Backpack Buddies program in Shelby County by collecting easy-to-prepare meals and snacks for students facing food insecurity.

“Magic City APSO members have helped with food drives and volunteered so many times throughout the years,” said Vineyard Family Services Executive Director Ward Williams.

At Plant Miller, volunteers focused on beautification projects at West Jefferson Elementary School, installing a bench, refurbishing the school’s flagpole and improving landscaping ahead of the new year. Members also donated hygiene kits and personal care items to the S.I.M.S. Foundation of Alabama, which supports children and families in need.

In east Alabama, APSO Eastern Division members partnered with nonprofit Amazing Youth to assemble more than 800 backpacks for students across eight school systems in Talladega and Shelby Counties.

Meanwhile, APSO E.C. Gaston members collected classroom supplies for Wilsonville Elementary School teachers and students, while APSO Southern Division volunteers donated binders, books and art supplies during a back-to-school event with the Children Advocacy Center in Selma.

In west Alabama, APSO Western Division members partnered with C.H.O.I.C.E. – Choosing to Help Others in Our Community Excel – to provide 121 backpacks for students in Uniontown. Volunteers included handwritten notes of encouragement from local ninth graders. In 2025, these notes were a source of cheer to students at Davis-Emerson Middle School in Cottondale.

“If anyone was having a bad day, they could grab an uplifting note to read,” said Community Development Specialist Leah Banks.

Across the state, APSO members have transformed ordinary school supply drives into opportunities to encourage students, strengthen communities and help children start the school year ready to learn.