Employee shares Thanksgiving lesson with her kids
Seniors at the annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner smiled as they watched Angela Garza’s three daughters serve them a meal. Syanne, Leanne and Jayanna quickly delivered dinner plates to tables and helped refill drinks. Jayanna, 8, Angela’s youngest daughter, managed to pick up a tray of desserts that appeared larger than she could hold. However, with a warm smile and determination, Jayanna went from table to table handing out tasty desserts to the thankful group. Angela said serving with her children at last year’s dinner was a fun, memorable experience that provided them with a valuable lesson.
“Not everyone has a family or can afford food for Thanksgiving,” said Angela, a residential designer in Customer Engineering. “I want my children to be appreciative and thankful for what they have.”
Angela works with homeowners and builders on a daily basis to design and plan for the best way to provide electric and natural gas services to homes. She strives to be considerate of customers’ needs and expectations, and takes the same approach when she’s serving neighbors in need in our community.
“I always try to put myself in their shoes and understand what they’re going through,” she said. “It’s really important to be considerate of other people’s needs. I want to teach my kids to help others.”
Prior to serving at the Raul Jimenez Dinner, Angela spent the previous 10 years delivering Thanksgiving meals to homebound seniors on Thanksgiving Day through Meals on Wheels. She remembers one particular visit with a woman in her 90s. The senior shared that she had outlived her brothers and sisters and had no family with whom she could celebrate the holidays. Angela’s family brightened her day.
“We gave her the meal and my kids had a great conversation with her,” she said. “She was so grateful and told us, ‘Thank you sweetheart. I look forward to this every year’. I really enjoy Meals on Wheels. It only takes a little time out of your day to help someone have a great Thanksgiving.”
This week, Angela and her family are volunteering with dozens of CPS Energy employees at the Raul Jimenez Dinner and Meals on Wheels. Along with providing reliable, affordable power to our customers, we take pride in supporting our neighbors with volunteer efforts throughout the year. The holidays are no exception. Team members like Angela look forward to giving back to show how thankful we are for our community.
“We are a great company and we give back in so many ways,” said Angela. “We really enjoy serving as a family and representing CPS Energy. It’s become a fun family tradition to help our neighbors enjoy the holidays.”
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