AEP Foundation Donates $50,000 To Second Harvest Food Bank Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

MUNCIE, Ind. – Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana received a generous donation of $50,000 in emergency funds from the American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation, on behalf of Indiana Michigan Power, to help our local community amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We want to thank the AEP Foundation and I&M for this donation as we help our community members who are deeply impacted by this public crisis,” said Tim Kean, CEO/President. “The funds will help Second Harvest remain committed to ensuring healthy food is available to anyone who may need a helping hand during this uncertain time.”

In total, the AEP Foundation is donating $240,000 to support basic human needs like food, shelter and housing assistance across I&M’s service territory. Overall, the AEP Foundation will donate $1.5 million to communities served by AEP in eleven states.

“During this pandemic, we are also seeing what makes us all proud of our Nation, our State and of our local communities – coming together and helping our neighbors,” said Toby Thomas, I&M President and COO. “With the AEP Foundation grant I&M is able to help provide for the communities we serve, live and work in by ensuring basic needs are met so we can focus on what’s important during this challenging time – staying safe and healthy.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of ECI, the region’s largest hunger-relief organization with a network of 96 Agency Partners and 35 schools in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash counties, is carefully monitoring developments regarding COVID-19 and, as quickly as possible, coordinating new efforts:

• Through a connection with regional EMA services (Emergency Management Association), extra resources and volunteers have allowed for increased Tailgate Food Distributions to take place.
• Agency Partners are food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters, for example. Second Harvest is encouraging increased food distribution and the lifting of restrictions for families by allowing them to take more supplies than normal. This reduces travel time for people and families.
• The Big Idea initiative network of schools are operating on a continuous schedule of food distribution via drive-thru formats.
• Second Harvest is connecting with Neighborhood Association and church leaders to supply food for distribution to their neighbors in need.

“As we step out in faith and incur extra expenses,” continued Kean, “the AEP Foundation and I&M donation is instrumental in assisting Second Harvest provide increased food and resources to tens of thousands of neighbors in need.”

Visit www.CureHunger.org to learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of ECI.

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ABOUT SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is the region’s largest hunger-relief organization serving over 100 pantries and meal programs in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash Counties. With a vision to see people in East Central Indiana free from hunger and self-sufficient, our mission is to provide help for today by feeding the hungry and hope for tomorrow by addressing the causes of food insecurity while empowering people toward self-sufficiency. Our goal is to feed East Central Indiana’s most vulnerable residents through a region-wide network of member agencies and programs and to engage our region in the fight to end hunger. Each year, the Second Harvest Food Bank network provides assistance to more than 67,000 under-resourced people and families, including more than 20,000 children and nearly 5,200 seniors. www.CureHunger.org

ABOUT THE AEP FOUNDATION: The American Electric Power Foundation is funded by American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and its utility operating units, including Indiana Michigan Power. 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. The Foundation’s areas of focus include special emphasis on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education, protecting the environment, providing basic human services in the areas of hunger, housing, health and safety, and enriching life through art, music and cultural heritage. The Foundation is based in Columbus, Ohio.

ABOUT INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,370 employees serve more than 597,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.