Mississippi Power Foundation and employee volunteers donate nearly $60,000 towards food insecurity
Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power recently partnered with Extra Table and other food pantries to address food insecurity needs this holiday season.
The company’s employee volunteer chapters, Community Connection, work throughout the year to raise money for community causes and through their fundraising efforts, were able to donate more than $20,000 to food pantries in Mississippi Power’s service area. The Mississippi Power Foundation then matched their donation and contributed additional funds to Extra Table, a local nonprofit food bank – bringing the total donation to nearly $60,000. All funds will be used to provide meals for families this holiday season at a time when they need it the most.
“Our employees are committed to supporting causes and organizations that make a positive impact right here in our backyards,” said Mississippi Power Foundation Director Steven Dick. “Their compassion, along with additional assistance from our Foundation, means we can help more families. We’ve heard from our community partners that the need seems greater this year, and I’m thankful our employees are taking action to provide support.”
Mississippi Power employees have long supported organizations like Extra Table along with smaller, localized food pantries located at churches or soup kitchens.
“We look for opportunities to uplift our communities year-round, and as we enter the holiday and giving season, we know that food pantries are able to directly address a pressing need,” said Division Manager Cedrick Hurd. “We’ve worked with many of these organizations closely over the years, including Extra Table, so we’ve been able to see first-hand the difference they make to local families.”
Extra Table has been serving Mississippi’s communities for 15 years and is currently supporting 66 food pantry and soup kitchen partners in more than 50 counties.
“Extra Table works every day to fight food insecurity in our state, and our work would not be possible without generous partners like Mississippi Power,” said Extra Table Executive Director Martha Allen Price. “We know we can count on them to show up to serve the community – whether that be their employees volunteering to serve meal boxes at a food drive or donating funds at a time when we really need it. We are thankful for their partnership and look forward to seeing the difference we can make together.”
Mississippi Power and Extra Table also partnered earlier this year for the company’s centennial MLK Day of Service. Mississippi Power employees hosted three food drives across its service territory, distributing 2,000 meal boxes to families in need. The Mississippi Power Foundation then contributed an additional $100,000 to Extra Table.
Now in its 100th year of service, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 192,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power is proud to be an industry leader in safety and reliability. The company has been recognized by the Southeastern Electric Exchange for the Top Safety Performance in its generation category. For outstanding storm response, the company has also been honored by the Edison Electric Institute multiple times with an Emergency Response Award. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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