Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Donations to be Matched by AEP Foundation; Employees Donate $70,000 for Harvey Relief

Puerto Rico’s power grid was devastated by Maria.

(Story by Barry Schumann)

With more than $70,000 in employee donations having been collected for Hurricane Harvey relief in southeastern Texas, the American Electric Power Foundation has approved a new match for employee and retiree donations for relief efforts in the hurricane-battered U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

The Foundation will make a special contribution to provide a 100 percent match up to $50,000 to employee and retiree donations to help areas of Puerto Rico impacted first by Hurricane Irma and most recently and significantly by Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico is the homeland of at least 20 AEP employees and the ongoing source of numerous AEP Transmission co-op students from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus College of Engineering. Maria has destroyed Puerto Rican infrastructure, leaving the majority of the island’s nearly 3.5 million residents without power, communications, water and other basic services. At least 10 people have been confirmed killed by the storm.

Donations to the AEP Emergency Disaster Relief Fund of the Salvation Army special relief fund through Oct. 13 will be administered by The Salvation Army. The AEP Foundation match will go to the American Red Cross.

“Hurricane Maria has devastated Puerto Rico. Reports predict it will be many months before the electric grid is fully restored, and with it communications and water services re-established,” said Nick Akins, AEP chairman, president and CEO. “AEP employees want to help, and their donations along with the AEP Foundation match will help Puerto Ricans regain a sense of normalcy.”

Donations may be made with credit card by calling toll-free 1-800-217-6029 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern time, or by writing a check payable to The Salvation Army/AEP EDR Fund. The check memo line should include Hurricane Maria/PR. Checks may be sent via U.S. mail to:

The Salvation Army
Attn.: AEP Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, Hurricane Maria/PR
966 E. Main St.
Columbus, Ohio 43205

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. In order to receive a receipt for tax purposes, be sure to include contact information on or with the check.

Contributions received through this special collection through Oct. 13 will be used only for Hurricane Maria relief in Puerto Rico.

If you have already made a donation to the Red Cross or Salvation Army for Puerto Rico relief and can document your gift, we will make every effort to match your donation through the AEP Foundation. Please forward documentation to Barry Schumann.

The AEP Foundation is funded by American Electric Power and its utility operating units. The Foundation provides a permanent, ongoing resource for charitable initiatives involving higher dollar values and multi-year commitments in the communities served by AEP and initiatives outside of AEP’s 11-state service area.