SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. –
Eight organizations in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties have received
Power Your Community grants from Pacific Gas and Electric that range from
$1,000 to $2,500. This is the second year of the program that will in total
distribute $100,000 to over 91 organizations throughout northern and central
California. For more information please see story below.
Story provided by PG&E External
Communications
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
recently distributed Power Your Community grants to eight organizations in San
Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, all thanks to nominations by supportive
PG&E employees.
This is the second year
of PG&E's Power Your Community program, which invites the utility's
employees to apply for grants of $2,500 or $1,000 on behalf of schools or
community organizations they're connected with. In total, PG&E is
distributing $100,000 across 91 organizations throughout Northern and Central
California.
The employees'
relationship with the organization can be anything from founder to former
neighbor. This year, selected employees in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
Counties include a robotics team mentor, a board president and a volunteer
zookeeper—all seeking to give a fundraising boost to a favorite cause.
PG&E chose the
recipient organizations based on their connection to the company's three
community investment priorities—education, environmental stewardship, and community
vitality.
"Power Your Community
grants are ideal outlets for PG&E's charitable giving," said Ezra Garrett,
vice president of Community Relations and chief sustainability officer at
PG&E. "The relationships between the employees and the organizations make
these grants particularly personal and special. And the dollars are supporting
causes that improve the quality of life for our communities."
The Power Your Community
program is one of several ways PG&E gives back to the communities where its
customers and employees live and work. In 2011, the utility contributed $23
million to charitable organizations and plans to provide even more this year.
For more information, visit www.pge.com/community.
Pacific Gas and Electric
Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest
combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's
cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For
more information, visithttp://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ and www.pgecurrents.com.
PG&E selected the
following organizations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties to
receive Power Your Community grants:
Recipient organization: Atascadero Education Foundation Inc., the parent
nonprofit for the Atascadero Greyhound Revolutionary Robotics Team (Team 973).
PG&E employee: Larry Price, Senior Advising Engineer, Diablo
Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: Sponsorship of FIRST Robotics Team
PG&E employee's
connection: Senior mentor
Recipient organization: SLO County Toy Run Inc.
PG&E employee: Timothy Gilbride, Work Week Manager, Diablo
Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $2,500
Grant's purpose: To help the organization with its mission to
bring Christmas presents and clothing to underprivileged children of San Luis
Obispo County.
PG&E employee's
connection: Volunteer
Recipient organization: San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council Inc.
PG&E employee: Thomas Wright, Quality Auditor/Work Control
Lead, Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: Public education on vegetation management in
communities that PG&E serves.
PG&E employee's
connection: Member, Los Osos Fire
Safe Focus Group
Recipient organization: Transitions - Mental Health Association
PG&E employee: James Haas, Industrial Power Engineer, PG&E
Service Planning
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: Installing a solar system on administration
building. PG&E previously helped to fund a solar system at the
organization's award-winning Growing Grounds Farm in San Luis Obispo.
PG&E employee's
connection: Board president
Recipient organization: Orcutt Academy High School
PG&E employee: Lawrence Dunlap, Supervisor, Nuclear
Engineering, Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: Robotics Team support. The Orcutt Academy High
School FIRST Robotics Team creates a student/mentor environment in which
students can engage and gain experience in technological and scientific fields
that have in-demand jobs.
PG&E employee's
connection: Lead mentor in
mechanical engineering
Recipient organization: Zoo To You Wildlife Education
PG&E employee: James Ellis, Fire Captain, Diablo Canyon Power
Plant Fire Department
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: In 2009, a fire destroyed the building that
served as an office and animal habitat and resulted in a loss of dozens of
animals. While efforts are underway to rebuild the facility, additional
assistance is needed to help the facility not only rebound, but to do so in an
environmentally sustainable way. This grant provides initial funds to pursue
the use of solar technology around the facility.
PG&E employee's
connection: Volunteer zookeeper,
animal handler, wildlife educator
Recipient organization: San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation,
DeGroot Youth Activities Fund
PG&E employee: Daniel Degroot, Supervisor, Nuclear Operator
Training, Learning Services, Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: DeGroot Youth Activities Endowed Fund, which
helps pay the costs for children to participate in youth sports, arts,
education and recreation programs.
PG&E employee's
connection: Established fund through
SLO County Community Foundation
Recipient organization: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San
Luis Obispo County Inc.
PG&E employee: Heather Lewis, Operations Performance, Diablo
Canyon Power Plant
Award amount: $1,000
Grant's purpose: Allows more advocate supervisors to be hired,
thereby allowing more CASA volunteers to advocate for the abused and neglected
children of SLO County within the court system.
PG&E employee's
connection: Member, CASA Guild
