Some AEP Texas employees recently spent a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen cooking to feed the families of patients at Driscoll Children’s Hospital and other area hospitals.

Employees form the RDC Supply Chain, AMI Metering, and Security – and some friends and families – gathered to cook and to keep up an annual tradition, according to Esmer Reyes, Material coordinator.

“We do this annually, and it always accomplishes more than we ever think it will,” Reyes said.

Reyes has previously led efforts to cook at the House using funds awarded by an AEP Make A Difference grant. The Ronald McDonald House houses the families of seriously ill or injured children who are receiving treatment at area hospital. The families must reside more than 50 miles away from the hospital. Sometime families are from other countries and stay as two years in the House while their child receives treatment.

“We did not have grant funds this time, so we decided to pitch in and make it happen,” Reyes said.

Reyes said the best thing to do if a coworker has an idea to give back to the community in the smallest or biggest way is to just do it.

"Don't be afraid wonder if you should - just do it," she says. "This a team building experience because we get to spend time with co-workers and family outside of work from different work groups. But more than that, we are able to help families who have sick children at Driscoll. If we can take the smallest stress away of having a home cooked meal at the end of a very long day at the hospital, then we have done our job. That's what we wanted to do today - help these families who are away from home. I think we did it."