Alabama Power Volunteers Honor MLK Day with Service

On a chilly January morning in Birmingham, 15 volunteers spent four hours outdoors painting, landscaping, and preparing for an art installation at the corner of 4th Avenue and 16th Street North. They were part of hundreds of Alabama Power volunteers who honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day not with a day off, but with a day on.

The Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) coordinated service projects across the state on January 19 and throughout the week. In Anniston, volunteers including parents and their children served eggs, grits, biscuits, and bacon to breakfast attendees at the MLK Day Youth Participation Day. Eastern Division APSO President Stephanie Mitchell brought her son Mal'aki to help serve meals, showing the next generation what community service looks like.

In Pell City, four volunteers worked the 17th annual St. Clair County MLK Breakfast starting at 8 a.m. Customer service representative Arnita Woodall led the effort, ensuring hundreds of attendees were welcomed and fed.

The Magic City APSO Chapter returned to Birmingham's Fourth Avenue Business District for the fourth year running. The historic area near the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute draws visitors from around the world. "We hope this work will help attract new business to the area and help their ventures shine," said project chair Caitlyn Brothers.

In Selma, Southern Division volunteers distributed gently used clothing to the Center for Nonviolence Truth and Reconciliation. Others helped at the 2026 MLK Scholarship Breakfast, which raises money for high school students, with Plant Franklin donating $3,500 to the Alpha Onward and Upward Foundation.

In Montgomery, volunteers greeted parade entrants, gave directions, and assisted with floats during the city's annual MLK parade. "Our goal is to help be a face in the community and help where we can," said project chair Trey Kennedy.

The Ripple Effect

The Western Division took a different approach, gathering 50 members on January 15 to assemble 48 backpacks for the Jasper Area Family Services Center. Each pack included blankets, hats, gloves, hand warmers, hygiene items, and hot cocoa packets for families facing hardship.

Kim Savage, executive director of APSO, says this "boots on the ground" work strengthens families and bolsters nonprofits throughout Alabama. The organization's year-round commitment creates a community support system that lasts far beyond one day of service.

Four years of showing up to the same Birmingham intersection matters because consistency builds trust, and trust builds thriving neighborhoods.