At Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), our 2,000-plus workforce is ready to answer the call for help across the cities and counties we serve, as well as across the country. Fresh off of a 14-day deployment restoring power to those affected from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana, Ryan Miller, Distribution Services supervisor, answered the call for help, again, this time in South Bend.
Ryan Miller, Distribution Services supervisor, goes "Over the Edge" in South Bend to support Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County.
Looking out across downtown South Bend on a sunny and warm October day, Miller went “Over the Edge” to help raise money and awareness for Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County to help combat youth homelessness.
“When I was asked to take part in ‘Over the Edge’, I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” Miller said. “I’m really excited to be a part of this community and serve our customers. We love to help people whether it’s providing power or taking part in events like this. We truly do care and want to be out in the community with them volunteering. ”
Miller scaled down the Robertson Apartment Building, which is 8-stories high. He was down the side of the building in just one minute! In fact, the event announcer asked Miller to slow down.
“I wasn’t scared or nervous at all. In fact, my training from I&M and experience being a line worker helped me climb down really easy,” Miller said. “This isn’t even close to the tallest thing I’ve climbed in my experience. I think the tallest was a 75-foot pole. So compared to that, this was easy and fun.”
The Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County estimates that every year there are 1,000 homeless youths between the ages of 12 and 18 in St. Joseph County. Each dollar raised through this popular fundraiser helps to ensure each young person who connects with Youth Service Bureau will be safe, have stability and an opportunity to reach their full potential. This follows the AEP Foundation’s mission, which has been an essential sponsor for this local event for the past few years.
“The Youth Service Bureau is extremely thankful to the AEP Foundation and Indiana Michigan Power for being a sponsor and involved in ‘Over the Edge’ once again,” said Christina McGovern, director of Development and Marketing for Youth Service Bureau. “Our agency is proud to have the AEP Foundation and I&M as a community partner to help us change the lives of our youth in St. Joseph County and set them on a safe path to succeed.”
The Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County had a goal of raising $100,000 through this event for our local community. It is proud to report the Youth Service Bureau brought in more than $120,000.
“I’m so thankful I&M and the AEP Foundation gives us the chance to be visible in our communities and interact with our customers in fun events like ‘Over the Edge’, Miller said. “We help people by providing safe and reliable power to our customers, but through events we can also energize our communities in a different way.”
For more information, including how you can help and get involved with the Youth Service Bureau visit www.yscsjc.org/waystogive.