SoCalGas recently launched EMPOWER Magazine, it spotlights the utility company’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities we serve. EMPOWER celebrates community members whose lives have been touched through the purposeful investments made by SoCalGas. 

“All of us, at some point in our lives, needed someone to believe in us, to see the champion that we could become, and to offer a helping hand to us get there,” said SoCalGas CEO Scott Drury.

The first edition highlights a once unhoused neighbor, Dorothy Edwards and her fight for survival. Edwards struggled with her mental health, finding employment, and battled addiction.
A local nonprofit, One day Housing Works, offered Edwards a home paired with benefits including case management and support services. 

SoCalGas supports United Way of Greater Los Angeles in its mission to end homelessness through donations and volunteer hours. United Way, in turn, empowers nonprofits like Housing Works that made Dorothy’s second chance a reality. 

Drury said, “When we offer that hand ourselves, we create momentum that can change the course of a person’s life, sparking a ripple effect felt across generations.”

The first edition of EMPOWER also covers the company’s 2020 annual report. Some successes from last year’s community giving efforts include:
•    1,472 grants provided to 917 unique organizations through 12 counties and 223 cities
•    $9.4 million total community investment
o    $5.5 million for health and human services and local non-profits
o    $1.8 million for educational causes
o    $1.5 million for business organizations and local chambers
o    $586K for environmental organizations
o    $1.3 million donated and 8,500 hours volunteered by SoCalGas employees 

“The communities SoCalGas serves are also the communities in which we live. We take great care to make sure our communities have safe, clean, affordable, and reliable energy every day. This commitment to service comes in large part from our commitment to people,” said Drury.

The magazine will be published periodically throughout the year.