—Public-Voting Program Benefits Three Texas Nonprofits—
Houston-based coffee shop, A 2nd Cup, is the headquarters for a
nonprofit that raises awareness of human trafficking in Houston and
supports its survivors – one cup of coffee at a time. Today the
nonprofit was surprised by Reliant employees and volunteers with a
$100,000 donation after receiving the most votes during Reliant Gives, a
charitable giving program that involves a public-voting campaign.
“We are so grateful to the Reliant employees who nominated us to
participate in Reliant Gives and our incredible supporters who voted for
us to receive this game-changing donation,” said Erica Raggett, founder
and executive director, A 2nd Cup. “Reliant is known throughout the
community for giving and helping others, and this donation will support
those rebuilding their lives after being trapped in modern-day slavery.
This generous donation will enable us to launch a holistic coffee and
culinary work program for human trafficking survivors looking for
employment, providing both soft skills from resume writing and interview
techniques to specific barista, roasting and culinary skills.”
A 2nd Cup, established in 2012, takes a unique approach to support the
fight against human trafficking, a largely overlooked issue in Houston.
The organization’s coffee shop profits help develop resources and
support aftercare solutions for survivors, including counseling,
mentoring, work-experience and education. It’s coffee – with a cause.
For more information or to get involved, visit a2ndcup.com.
Reliant Gives, which launched in 2016, puts the power of nonprofit
advocacy in the hands of the public, letting people vote to direct the
company’s charitable giving to three Texas charities nominated by
employees.
“We designed the Reliant Gives program as a way for our employees and
the public to have an opportunity to support the causes they are
passionate about,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president, Reliant. “Along
the way, we realized we created something truly remarkable – a platform
for anyone, anywhere to make a difference in communities across Texas
with just one click. Our congratulations to the three nonprofits, and we
look forward to another round of the program later this year.”
The two additional Reliant Gives recipients were Girlstart, a nonprofit
that increases girls' interest and engagement in STEM through innovative
education programs across Texas, and Southwest Transplant Alliance, a
Dallas nonprofit that saves lives by recovering organs and tissue for
people awaiting lifesaving transplants. The organizations received a
$10,000 and $5,000 donation, respectively, based on public vote totals.
The checks were presented as part of positiveNRG Week, a week designated
by Reliant’s parent company NRG for charitable giving and volunteerism
across the country. Over the past decade, as part of this effort,
Reliant employees have volunteered tens of thousands of hours at
nonprofit organizations across Texas. This week, Reliant employees are
supporting all three Reliant Gives nominees and a number of other
organizations, including:
-
American Heart Association
-
Austin Animal Center
-
Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos
-
Dress for Success Houston
-
Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels
-
Galveston Bay Foundation
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Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
-
Hermann Park Conservancy
-
Houston Area Women’s Center
-
Houston Food Bank
-
Houston Zoo
-
March of Dimes Houston
-
Metrocrest Services
-
Operation Kindness
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Ronald McDonald House of Dallas
-
Snowdrop Foundation
-
Urban Harvest
To learn more about the inspiring organizations supported by Reliant
Gives in 2016, read the Reliant
Gives Community Impact Report.
About Reliant, an NRG company
Reliant brings electricity, smart energy solutions and home services to
business and residential customers across Texas. Reliant is part of NRG
Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), a Fortune 200 company that is at the forefront
of changing how people think about, buy and use energy. Backed by a
diverse portfolio of nearly 140 power generating facilities that can
support millions of homes and businesses nationwide, NRG’s retail
companies, including Reliant, deliver electricity and home security
services and serve almost 3 million customers in 10 states and the
District of Columbia. NRG retail brands collectively are the largest
providers of electricity in Texas. For more information about Reliant
products and services, please visit reliant.com
and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy
and Twitter @ReliantEnergy.
PUCT Certificate #10007.
