SANTA’S HELPERS BRIGHTEN CHRISTMAS FOR 75 LOCAL KIDS

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CAPTION: PowerSouth employees Wanda Woods (left) and Kim Arrington deliver donated gifts as part of Andalusia's Community Christmas Program. Photo courtesy of the Andalusia Star-News.

ANDALUSIA, ALA. – Elves aren’t Santa’s only helpers at Christmastime.

For the past six years, PowerSouth employees have acted as Santa’s right hand in Andalusia, providing gifts of toys, clothing, diapers and other items through the Community Christmas program. This year, PowerSouth sponsored 75 children through Community Christmas, which allows qualifying families to receive much-needed assistance in providing Christmas gifts for their children with the help of anonymous donors.

“We are glad for the opportunity to help struggling families in our community,” said Larry Avery, PowerSouth Vice President of Power Delivery and one of the founders of the Community Christmas program. “If we can give of ourselves to make just one child’s Christmas merrier, how could we not support this program?”

According to Andalusia Community Christmas officials, more than 657 children were sponsored this year in Andalusia and surrounding communities – about 100 more than usual due to economic troubles, according to Mattie Freeney, PowerSouth Analyst in Transmission and Distribution Construction. The donations were the only gifts some of the sponsored children received for Christmas this year, she said.

Freeney, who serves on the Community Christmas Board and became directly involved through the Civitan Club, volunteered about 80 hours for this year’s Community Christmas.

“Community Christmas has such a great impact,” she said. “It requires many hours of preparation, a lot of work and a lot of people, but seeing the kids’ faces makes it all worthwhile.”

Andalusia Community Christmas, Inc., is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to needy children 12 years old and younger for families in the Andalusia, Red Level, Pleasant Home and Straughn school districts.

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About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

For more information:

Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager

334.427.3330

mark.ingram@powersouth.com

www.powersouth.com

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

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