SAN DIEGO, Nov. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced it will provide more than $1.2 million in charitable donations to non-profit organizations in San Diego and Orange counties as part of its continuing commitment to help local underserved communities and San Diego's military and veteran population.  

"During this time of the year, our Helping People in Need initiative will provide much needed support for local non-profit organizations that work hard every day to feed our hungry, shelter our homeless, assist our disabled, help our veterans, aid seniors, and protect families from domestic abuse," said Frank Urtasun, regional vice president of external relations for SDG&E. "The work they are doing in our community is phenomenal and we are honored to support their goals and mission this holiday season."

As part of this initiative, SDG&E will provide grants to more than 120 organizations including: The San Diego Rescue Mission, The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Feeding America San Diego, Crisis House, Hearts and Hands Working Together, Mama's Kitchen, Promises2Kids, Salvation Army, Senior Community Centers of San Diego, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego, YMCA – Camp Pendleton, Embrace, Amikas, the NTC Foundation, the Veterans Association of North County, and the Veterans Housing Initiative. 

"At the same time, San Diego's active duty service men and women and veterans are facing some great challenges, and it's our duty to do what we can to help these families cope with long deployments and their transition to civilian life," added Urtasun.

SDG&E has had a long standing commitment to supporting diverse and underserved communities of San Diego and south Orange counties through charitable giving to non-profit organizations that promote emergency preparedness and safety, environmental education and community engagement, and the development of civic leadership through inspiring future leaders.

To learn more about SDG&E's charitable giving, visit: sdge.com/community.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and 861,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.  Connect with SDG&E's Customer Contact Center at 800-411-7343, on Twitter (@SDGE) and Facebook.

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)