The gifts support local efforts to make a positive impact in communities across Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia
Southern Company
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / January 31, 2025 / Southern Company Gas and its philanthropic arm, the Southern Company Gas Foundation, awarded more than $11 million in financial gifts last year to over 600 nonprofit organizations in communities across the company's service territory.
Collectively these gifts positively impacted approximately 4.5 million people across Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia. Donations and grants were awarded to nonprofits that aligned with the foundation's four strategic priorities: social justice, economic mobility, environmental stewardship and community enrichment.
"Investing in progress and opportunities to positively transform and grow communities is central to our company," said James Y. (Jim) Kerr II, Southern Company Gas chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We are intentionally focused on initiatives that fuel possibilities and advance opportunity for the betterment of those we serve. That's why our company and foundation have directed more than $50 million in giving to communities throughout our service areas since 2020."
Southern Company Gas, its family of local distribution companies - Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas, Nicor Gas and Virginia Natural Gas - its marketing business Georgia Natural Gas, its charitable foundation and its employees have collaborated with community partners to address local challenges through charitable giving and transformative volunteer experiences for more than 160 years and counting.
"We seek to be citizens where we live, work and serve. While meaningful financial contributions are key to supporting community efforts, our engagement stems beyond to include the time and talent of our people. We partner with organizations to provide holistic support to our communities, often driving programming, making connections to resources and volunteering to support projects and initiatives across our service footprint," said Serena Levy, Southern Company Gas Foundation president and Southern Company Gas vice president of corporate impact.
Major gifts included donations that aided justice-impacted individuals successfully returning to society; supported workforce development programs training people to work in needed, skill-based jobs; grew reforestation of native species and conserved environmentally fragile areas; funded scholarships for secondary education and wrap-around programming for K-12 students; and supported health and human services for those most in need.
The foundation, the company and its employees also pledged approximately $700,000 to United Way and its affiliated local chapters. These contributions will help combat food insecurity and provide access to critical resources such as health and wellness, education and housing initiatives.
The company's employee resource groups also worked with Southern Company Gas Foundation leadership to direct $100,000 to nonprofit organizations aligned with their respective areas of focus in 2024. Furthermore, charitable giving in 2024 was complemented by more than 900 employees volunteering their time. From mid-November to mid-December alone, company volunteers spent time at more than 50 events supporting nonprofits to make the holiday season brighter for families in need.
For more information on community initiatives across the Southern Company Gas footprint, visit southerncompanygas.com/communityengagement.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.4 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states and approximately 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
About the Southern Company Gas Foundation
The Southern Company Gas Foundation and its six subsidiaries in Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia are committed to supporting the communities where Southern Company Gas employees live, work and serve. Its mission is to advance social justice, enable economic mobility, care for the environment and provide community assistance. The foundation is a private, nonprofit organization funded by an endowment from Southern Company Gas.
SOURCE Southern Company Gas
For further information: Arsenio O. Ward, C: 404.694.6446, x2arward@southernco.com
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SOURCE: Southern Company
