Funds will directly help Fort Bend community with critical home repairs
Recovery efforts in Fort Bend County from Winter Storm Uri received a boost from Reliant today with a $100,000 donation to Attack Poverty, a nonprofit founded in Richmond, Texas with a mission to strengthen under-resourced communities and empower people to break the generational cycle of poverty. Reliant’s support will provide funding for plumbing and construction repair costs for 20 damaged homes, ensuring they are safe and secure as families continue to recover.
“The devastating effects of this historic natural disaster are continuing to be felt, particularly by the most vulnerable members of our community. At Reliant, we are focused on providing assistance, relief and much-needed resources to our neighbors in need,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. “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.”
Attack Poverty takes a holistic approach when helping clients with home repairs, keeping the resident involved in assessing the home, hiring contractors and evaluating work. The goal is to empower and support the homeowner while Attack Poverty helps navigate the damage and recovery as part of the homeowner’s team.
“The reality is that most of us were impacted somehow by the recent winter storm and likely know someone in need of home repair. As we connected with community members through food distribution lines and home assessments, the scale of damage caused by Winter Storm Uri became apparent,” said Brandon Baca, CEO of Attack Poverty. “As we mobilize resources in the communities we serve, we believe that we are better together through collaborative partnerships like that with Reliant.”
Local Fort Bend Impact
Velma L. is a senior living in Fort Bend County who first connected with Attack Poverty following damage to her home from Hurricane Harvey. As recovery from the flood three and a half years ago continued, her home was damaged yet again when several pipes were broken during February’s winter storm.
“The Attack Poverty team took the time to understand me and knew how to support my needs. Attack Poverty cared about me as a person,” said Velma. The nonprofit helped Velma with immediate aid in the absence of running water and urgent damage to her home and continues to support her home repair needs.
Giving Back Across Texas
In addition to today’s donation, Reliant and parent company NRG Energy, Inc. have made an initial $4 million commitment in cash donations to Texas communities to address food and water shortages, temporary or damaged housing and the overall recovery effort. To support customers affected by the storm, Reliant is providing voluntary payment extensions, late fee waivers, deferred payment plans, and has donated an additional $500,000 to its CARE Program to assist residential customers in paying electricity bills.