Donation will provide 600,000 meals to area families in need after Winter Storm Uri
HOUSTON—Sequent Energy Management and the Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundation donated a total of $200,000 to Houston Food Bank to assist with Winter Storm Uri recovery. The storm impacted Texas, including Houston and the 18 counties in southeast Texas served by the Houston Food Bank and left the community without power and water during a time when many are still struggling from the pandemic. Every dollar donated to Houston Food Bank provides three meals, so this donation will provide 600,000 meals to Houston families.
Citizens have turned to the Houston Food Bank for assistance, and generous support from the community has allowed the non-profit organization to provide food for better lives in this time of uncertainty. The storm’s impact has been felt across the community from damage to homes, lost food, missed days of work and more. The Houston Food Bank is providing food so that they can focus their resources on recovery expenses. For those already on the verge of food insecurity, an event like this is disastrous.
“Sequent is proud to support our community through the pandemic and the energy and water infrastructure challenge caused by the arctic storm,” said Pete Tumminello, group president of commercial businesses at Southern Company Gas. “Not only does the Houston Food Bank provide short-term food and water needs, but also provides programs for long-term stability including job training, health management, nutrition education and more. They are the beacon of support for the economically disadvantaged in our community.”
The economic impact from the pandemic has more families relying on food banks than ever before. Food banks across the U.S. are seeing unprecedented demand, including the Houston Food Bank, which is distributing 800,000 pounds or more of food per day.
“In times like these, charitable organizations are relied upon by the most vulnerable people in our communities, and we, in turn, rely on the support of our generous donors in order to provide hope in the form of food,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank. “Many of our neighbors are feeling the strain of this winter storm on top of an already dire situation brought on by COVID. The support of Sequent Energy Management and the Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundation comes at a time when many need it the most and will make the most impact. We cannot thank them enough for their support.”
The Houston Food Bank, part of the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, serves 18 southeast Texas counties with the help of more than 1,500 community partners to reach thousands of Texans each week with food supplies.
About Sequent Energy Management
Sequent Energy Management is a leading provider of natural gas services, meeting the needs of power generation, utilities, municipalities, large industrials, retail aggregators and producers across North America. Sequent delivers smart and proven ways to manage natural gas portfolios, providing expertise that creates value and mitigates risk for customers.
Sequent is positioned in the heart of Houston’s energy center, providing wholesale natural gas marketing, transportation and storage asset management, trading, optimization and risk management services for companies seeking to outsource to experienced asset managers.
Sequent Energy Management is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO).
About the Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundation
The Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to supporting those who are transforming lives by tackling complex challenges with revolutionary vision. Every year, the Charitable Foundation donates millions of dollars in grants to organizations that align with Southern Company Gas’ values and that passionately work to improve the lives of the communities the company serves. As an independent, nonprofit philanthropic foundation, the Southern Company Gas Charitable Foundation is funded solely by Southern Company Gas through shareholder dollars.