SoCalGas partnered with the United Service Organizations (USO) and assembled 500 food kits for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week at Bob Hope USO in Ontario. The utility donated a $25,000 grant and reusable bags for the “Everything but the Turkey” event to support local active service members and their families ahead of Thanksgiving.
The grant was used to purchase holiday food items such as canned goods, side dishes, and dessert. SoCalGas employees volunteered to prepare the ready-to-go kits.
“It’s interesting a lot of people don’t realize how many veterans and families suffer from homelessness and also need food supplies during the holidays,” said Chris Bissonnette, veteran and SoCalGas director of labor relations and wellness. He continued, “It’s a struggle when you come out of active-duty employment to move into the civilian world, so this really helps.”
The nonprofit will distribute the kits to active service members in Fort Irwin and March Air Reserve Base. USO’s Executive Director Yvette Kelley said, “This kind of project is valuable in two-folds: to show that we care about military members and to provide them a little bit of joy over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
She continued, “These kind of events highlights the fact that SoCalGas cares enough about the military that they will take their time, money, resources, and come together to build these bags for troops that don’t have a lot of funds and disposable income to go out and buy a complete Thanksgiving meal.”
As part of the event, volunteers also received a tour of the facility. Bob Hope USO in Ontario opened in Fall 2006 to serve the large numbers of troops deploying from the Inland Empire community. The center also has several programs, such as Feed the Troops, Holiday Celebrations, Tickets for Troops, Families of the Fallen and more to support active service members and their families.
Kelley said, “We have a very small staff, but because of people like SoCalGas volunteers and other volunteers at large, we can fulfill our mission to let people know that we really care about their military service.”
Bissonnette said, “Volunteering absolutely makes a difference, whether you do it with the company or outside in another community organization – it really feels good to do community-based work, especially during the holidays when it’s about giving and sharing.”
SoCalGas is a proud supporter of our U.S. military and veteran community. Veterans represent about 5% of our workforce. We provide resources and career guidance when they return to work after active duty. In addition, SoCalGas donated more than $9 million in 2020, including $3.5 million to nonprofit organizations throughout our service area to support the region's workforce, feed the hungry, and provide bill assistance to customers most affected by COVID-19.
To learn more about Bob Hope USO and how you can support this organization, click here.
