LOS ANGELES, March 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it will donate $1 million to nonprofit organizations throughout its service area to support the region's workforce, feed the hungry, and provide bill assistance to customers most affected by the coronavirus.

"All of us at SoCalGas want to do everything we can to support our community during this crisis—especially workers who might be laid off, people going hungry, and those who just won't be able to pay their gas bills without help," said Bret Lane, SoCalGas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "By providing funding to several outstanding nonprofit organizations, we're helping deliver critical services to help our neighbors who need it most."

The $1 million in donations will include:

• A gift to the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region to support serving meals to L.A. Unified School District students affected by school closures due to coronavirus concerns.
• Monies designated to the Gas Assistance Fund, a program that helps income-qualified SoCalGas customers pay their natural gas bill. Seniors and those who have been laid off as a result of the coronavirus crisis will be prioritized.
• A donation to the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles COVID-19 fund, which is supporting families, healthcare workers, unhoused neighbors and providing equipment needs of first responders.
• A gift to the Orange County United Way to assist in support local non-profits who provide essential services to those who are food and housing insure.
• A donation to Proteus, Inc., to provide education, job training, job placement, and other support services to farm working families and others in need in the San Joaquin Valley.

"Here in Los Angeles, we are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with a full heart and a firm commitment to keeping all Angelenos healthy and safe," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Like so many right now, SoCalGas is stepping up to the plate and showing what it means to lead with L.A. love — doing its part to deliver essential assistance to the folks hit hardest by this pandemic."

"Thousands of children who are not getting their usual school meals during this crisis will receive meals thanks to this generous gift from SoCalGas," said Jarrett Barrios, CEO American Red Cross, Los Angeles Region. "School closures can create extreme food insecurity for many children. These funds will ensure the Red Cross continues its work feeding LA Unified students at risk of hunger. SoCalGas continues to be a true community partner."

The health, safety and wellness of SoCalGas customer and employees is foundational to the company. SoCalGas continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation with local, state and federal health agencies, as well as monitoring and implementing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to the temporary suspension of service disconnections and waiving of late fees for small businesses, SoCalGas is taking precautionary measures including:

• Reminding employees to stay home if they are sick and encouraging work from home and other social distancing practices
• Implementing company travel, visitor, meeting and event restrictions
• Enhanced cleaning of SoCalGas facilities and personal hygiene practices

Additional information about SoCalGas' response to COVID-19 is available here.

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company