AEP Employees, Retirees Recognized for Delivering Meals to Seniors

Shown at a breakfast event that recognized Gahanna-area employees and retirees are (left to right): Chuck Gehring, president and CEO of LifeCare Alliance; Brian Tierney; Venugopalan Nair and his wife, Komalam Nair; Barbara Radous; Sherry Hill; Victoria Richards; Pauli Tice of LifeCare Alliance; and Anthony Greve. Photo by: Caitlin Sadler

Nearly 100 AEP employees and retirees were recognized recently for their volunteer work with LifeCare Alliance’s (LCA) Meals-on-Wheels Corporate Route Program.

Meals-on-Wheels provides hot nutritious meals to older adults and chronically ill persons who are unable to provide meals for themselves. Volunteers and staff deliver meals to the home 365 days a year. This “daily check” gives peace of mind to both recipients and their loved ones. Convenient weekly delivery of frozen meals is available for those who may have frequent medical appointments and treatments.

AEP volunteers from the Arena building, Gahanna offices and 1 Riverside Plaza deliver meals five days a week during their lunch hours. AEP is in its 12th year of participation in the Corporate Route program. Deliveries are made to residents at Jaycee Arms and Nazareth Tower, two housing complexes for senior citizens in downtown Columbus, and on driving routes in Gahanna and on the west side of Columbus.

Brian Tierney, AEP executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Barbara Radous, senior vice president – Operations and Performance Transformation, serve as Executive Champs for the group. Tierney and Radous hosted appreciation breakfasts in Columbus at 1 Riverside Plaza and in Gahanna to recognize the efforts of AEP’s employee volunteers.

“Volunteering to deliver meals to the elderly and homebound is yet another example of AEP employees making a positive impact in our community,” said Tierney.

AEP’s volunteer efforts save LifeCare Alliance, a not-for-profit organization, $48,000 to $60,000 annually. In addition to the Meals-on-Wheels volunteers, AEP has supported LifeCare Alliance by funding the purchase of new cooking kettles, facility lighting upgrades and providing in-kind print services.

Sherry Hill, regulatory consultant in Regulatory Operations for AEP Ohio, serves as Corporate Route Coordinator for the AEP volunteers and has done so since the program began. Hill is dedicated to the program and contributes greatly to its success. For more information or to volunteer with the program in Central Ohio, contact Hill.