Funding is part of the $1 million donation the company is providing to assist laid-off workers, provide food and bill payment assistance to those in need
CAMARILLO — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) on Aug. 2 announced it will donate $100,000 to American Red Cross of Central California to assist Central Coast, Santa Barbara, Ventura County and San Luis Obispo county residents in need during the coronavirus pandemic. The gift is part of SoCalGas’ $1 million donation to nonprofit organizations throughout its twelve-county service area to support the region’s workforce, feed the hungry, and provide bill assistance to customers most affected by the coronavirus crisis.
“We are facing an unprecedented challenge in our communities,” said Maria Ventura, public affairs manager at SoCalGas. “We know the American Red Cross of Central California is performing its usual excellent work, but they’ll need additional resources during this crisis. SoCalGas is committed to supporting them now and into the future as we all work together to get through this time.”
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, American Red Cross of Central California is working with school districts to continue to feed K-12 school age children on reduced meal programs. Additionally, they are developing a plan to procure and deliver needed medical equipment to various medical facilities and the homebound.
“We are incredibly thankful to our board member Maria Ventura and SoCalGas for its donation,” said Tony Briggs, CEO of the American Red Cross of Central California. “These funds will ensure the Red Cross continues to feed Central California students at risk of hunger and will help others in need at this time.”
In addition to SoCalGas’ $1 million donation, The Sempra Energy Foundation recently announced its donation of up to $1 million to help small to medium-sized nonprofits in California as they serve critical needs related to the ongoing coronavirus situation. Additionally, sister utility San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) contributed $1 million to launch the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund at the San Diego Foundation. Sempra Energy utilities hope its donations will not only help those in need but will inspire others who are able to give back.
SoCalGas customers should rest assured that the natural gas they count on for their business, to cook food for their families and to heat their homes will continue to be there when they need it.
In addition to the temporary suspension of service disconnections and waiving of late fees for small businesses, SoCalGas is taking precautionary measures including:
- Reminding employees to stay home if they are sick and encouraging work from home and other social distancing practices
- Implementing company travel, visitor, meeting and event restrictions
- Enhanced cleaning of SoCalGas facilities and personal hygiene practices
- The temporary closure of SoCalGas branch offices, and offering other payment options
Additional information about SoCalGas’ response to COVID-19 is available here.
SoCalGas’ vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.