Reliant Energy donates $100K to nonprofit’s winter storm relief efforts

“The devastating effects of this historic natural disaster are continuing to be felt, particularly by the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. “At Reliant, we are focused on providing assistance, relief and much-needed resources to our neighbors in need. That’s why we are supporting organizations like Attack Poverty that are making a real impact in the community by helping families return to their homes safely.”

The $100,000 is part of a $4 million commitment made by Reliant and parent company NRG Energy to help Texas communities in the aftermath of the winter storm, said Leanne Schneider, director of community relations at Reliant.

“The reality is that most of us were impacted somehow by the recent winter storm and likely know someone in need of home repair,” said Brandon Baca, CEO of Attack Poverty. “As we connected with community members through food distribution lines and home assessments, the scale of damage caused by Winter Storm Uri became apparent.”

Faith-based organization Attack Poverty works to strengthen under-resourced neighborhoods. The nonprofit spent the past year redesigning its existing programs in response to the pandemic. After February’s freeze, AP turned its focus to getting the county back on its feet by hosting food distribution drives and helping with home repairs.

“Most people know us as a retail electricity company,” said Schneider. “But we really are passionate about serving our customers and communities. There are many facets to the impacts of the storm — there’s food insecurity, temporary housing needs — some people are still getting water from their neighbors’ because their plumbing hasn’t been repaired.”

Schneider said the energy company was committed to helping Texans recover by providing resources and partnering with organizations like Attack Poverty.

“The impact of this winter storm was pretty dramatic — we have upwards of 200 homes that we’re going to be repairing over the next six to eight months,” said Baca, adding that the donation was a significant step forward in the direction to their goal.

“The Attack Poverty team took the time to understand me and knew how to support my needs,” said Velma L., a senior living in Fort Bend County. “Attack Poverty cared about me as a person.”

Velma became acquainted with AP when volunteers helped repair her home after Hurricane Harvey. As recovery from the flood three-and-a-half years ago continued, her home was heavily damaged again when several pipes broke during February’s winter storm. The nonprofit helped Velma by supplying water and continues to support her home repair needs.

The $100,000 is expected to help 20 Fort Bend families with construction, home restorations and plumbing expenses.

“You can’t see [the damage] from the outside, but from the inside of the homes it’s pretty significant,” said Baca. “Individuals in low income areas may not have as much insurance coverage or access to resources, because maybe they’ve been out of a job because of COVID. This was a crisis on top of another crisis. So, the relief that this [donation] will have for these families is huge.”

Leaks caused the growth and spread of toxic mold and mildew, making dwellings uninhabitable. Moreover, homes have suffered more than just burst pipes; walls and ceilings have caved in, sheet rock and carpets need replacing and electrical equipment has been destroyed. Baca said that the goal AP volunteers was to not only to repair these homes, but also provide mental and emotional support to residents.

“Where trained skills are necessary, we will be contracting that out, but where volunteers can step in, we will definitely choose volunteers,” said Baca. “We love to engage groups and I think we’re going to have a Reliant crew.”

juhi.varma@hcnonline.com