Indiana Michigan Power has enlisted employees from Rockport, Indiana to Bridgman, Michigan as part of a clothing drive to help veterans.
I&M distribution system manager Jesse LaFromboise tells us throughout July, I&M staff were asked to donate clothing and toiletries to be given to Clothes for Joes, a non-profit in Fort Wayne. He says Clothes for Joes operates a shop for those in need.
“What they do within the community is not only supplying clothes to those in need, as far as veterans are concerned, but also supplying them with a lot of other things as far as toiletries and things like that,” LaFromboise said.
The I&M Military Veterans Employee Resource Group asked company employees to contribute what they could, and the employees came through.
LaFromboise says after 31 days of the collection, donations began returning to the Northeast Service Center to be sorted and delivered to the Clothes for Joes building. I&M staff then volunteered their time to help distribute the items at Clothes for Joes.
“We got enough items, she said, to probably keep them stocked for three months.”
LaFromboise says the I&M team really came out to show its support to those who need a little help getting the kinds of things most of us take for granted.
Clothes for Joes was also awarded the AEP Caring Together grant, which provided additional funds for the team to purchase even more items. LaFromboise says the drive went so well that they may do it again next year.
