LITTLE ROCK, AR / ACCESSWIRE / December 11, 2023 / Harvey Couch first electrified The Natural State with Arkansas Power & Light by turning sawdust into electricity in 1913, and the company that would become Entergy Arkansas has been lighting up communities in innovative ways ever since.
In honor of its 110th anniversary, the state's largest and oldest electric provider is donating more than half a million dollars as part of its "Entergy Arkansas Bright Futures Campaign" to six partner nonprofits to help build strong communities across its 63-county service territory for a total of $660,000. These donations are made possible by profits from the company owners through the Entergy Charitable Foundation and not with customer dollars.
"I cannot think of a more appropriate way to commemorate the last 110 years and look toward 'Bright Futures' for our customers and communities," said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. "Entergy Arkansas has been honored to serve for more than a century in our great state, and these grants highlight important partnerships and demonstrate the priority we place on being good corporate citizens by investing in our customers and the places we all call home."
Six separate grants in the amount of $110,000 from the Entergy Charitable Foundation will be awarded to nonprofits that align with utility's philanthropic focus on sustaining families, investing in workforce opportunities and a healthy environment. These initiatives are grounded in actions proven to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve now and for generations to come.
"Strategic giving to our communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy is integral to our corporate mission," said Ventrell Thompson, Entergy Arkansas' vice president of customer service. "We invest in local solutions that attack the root causes of poverty, support education and workforce development, and protect and preserve the environment."
The following nonprofits will receive $110,000 grants to commemorate Entergy Arkansas' 110th anniversary and kick off the Entergy Arkansas Bright Futures Campaign, which will include a number of efforts and initiatives including volunteerism and advocacy, in the coming year and beyond:
- The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance will use funds to support hunger initiatives and child feeding programs, including food-filled backpacks, breakfast and after-school meals through the food banks located in the Entergy Arkansas footprint.
- The Arkansas Community Foundation will administer donations of books through the Dolly Parton Foundation's Imagination Library program and the Excel by 8 literacy program to help kids throughout our service territory read at grade level by the third grade.
- The Arkansas STEM Coalition will support STEM education in Arkansas Schools in our service area focused on low-income students.
- The Women's Foundation of Arkansas internships for women of color who are juniors, seniors and college-aged provides paid experience and includes housing and transportation. This will expose these women to career opportunities and prepare them to enter the workforce and succeed. Many women-owned businesses are located in the Delta, which is in our service area, and a portion of funding will support the Women's Economic Mobility Hub.
- Habitat for Humanity chapters in the Entergy Arkansas service area will receive a total of $110,000 to provide affordable housing to address housing, homelessness and poverty.
- The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas will use funding to enhance their efforts to protect and restore forests across a 10-county area in the Arkansas Delta and upper Gulf Coastal Plain.
Executive Director Kathy Webb said, "The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is grateful for a long history of collaboration with Entergy, through LIHEAP information, Entergy's poverty simulation, and more. Collaborating with community-minded partners like Entergy is essential to alleviate hunger in Arkansas, and the underlying causes. Working together, we lessen food insecurity in several ways, including nutrition education, community outreach, supporting our six Feeding America food banks and hundreds of member pantries, and our efforts advocating for positive changes in Arkansas."
Entergy Arkansas has a long history of supporting local communities financially and with volunteers. In 2022, the company awarded more than 100 non-profit partners and community organizations with $3.4 million in grants. Employees and retirees dedicated more than 25,292 hours of volunteer service valued at more than $757,495.
"This incredible investment comes at a special time, as the Women's Foundation of Arkansas celebrates turning '25 Years Bold' this year. As we recognize two and half decades of boldly working for women and girls in our state, this unique contribution from Entergy Arkansas in recognition of their own 110th anniversary will be a catalyst to help ensure WFA is able to meet the needs of women and girls in our shared community for generations to come," said Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women's Foundation of Arkansas.
"We are excited and grateful to be part of Entergy Arkansas Bright Futures campaign and the recipient of this generous grant," said Roger Mangham, state director of the Arkansas Nature Conservancy. "These funds will support our forestry work, keeping the forests we have healthy and planting new trees, which ultimately means better air for us to breathe and cleaner water to drink. We definitely call that an investment in a brighter future!"
Landreaux concluded, "This funding is just the beginning for our 'Bright Futures' campaign and will serve as a powerful building block for our core focus areas as we look forward to many more years of powering life for our customers and communities."
For more information about the Entergy Arkansas corporate giving, visit https://www.entergy.com/csr/giving/.
About Entergy Arkansas
Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom.
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SOURCE: Entergy Corporation
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