Avista Provides Over $260,000 on ''Giving Tuesday''
November 27, 2018
Food banks and community service agencies serving those who need a helping hand are receiving $268,752 in support from the Avista Foundation and Avista Corp.
Kicking off the season of giving, 100 Avista employees provided more than 200 hours of volunteerism at the Spokane Arena last week as part of Tom’s Turkey Drive. This gift of time is in addition to individual employee donations to the Turkey Drive that provided 1,065 meals to families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“At Avista, we are proud of our long history of giving back to our communities, and we’re excited about our future and a commitment to nearly double investments in our communities as a result of our partnership with Hydro One,” said Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista. When the merger with Hydro One is complete, the Avista Foundation will immediately receive an additional $7 million and $2 million each year to follow. “It is especially meaningful to us to help support the community resources and organizations that make such a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.”
Avista makes a portion of its community investments through the Avista Foundation, a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp. Funds for Avista Corp. contributions come from company profits, and are not included in customers’ rates.
Giving Tuesday Donations:
Energy assistance donations total: $200,000
Twenty-three community service agencies are receiving a total of $200,000 to make grants for energy assistance to qualifying Avista customers who are in need this winter and who may have exhausted all other available energy assistance resources. The organizations receiving the donations are identified by Avista’s CARES representatives (Customer Assistance Referral and Evaluation Service). These reps are specially trained and work closely with our most vulnerable customers and the community agencies that provide support services.
Regional food banks total: $41,702
For those with limited income, feeding their family can be one of the biggest challenges they face each month. Forty-three food banks in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska will receive donations, either directly or through a distributor to help support the vital safety-net services they provide.
Through their buying power and relationships with food producers, the food banks are able to leverage donations like ours to bring several times their value to help stock the shelves for those in need.
Additional Giving: $27,050
Helping agencies meet other needs of vulnerable and low-income residents is an especially difficult task at this time of year. Avista’s support of non-profits and community partners is an important part of our commitment to community vitality.
About the Avista Foundation
The Avista Foundation was established in 2002 with the objective of making a difference in our communities in a positive and sustainable way. Since its founding, the Avista Foundation has made grants totaling over $6 million. The foundation focuses its giving in the areas of:
The Avista Foundation is a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp. The foundation does not receive funding from Avista Utilities or AEL&P customers through rates.
About Avista Utilities
Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 379,000 customers and natural gas to 342,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA). For more information, please visit www.myavista.com
Kicking off the season of giving, 100 Avista employees provided more than 200 hours of volunteerism at the Spokane Arena last week as part of Tom’s Turkey Drive. This gift of time is in addition to individual employee donations to the Turkey Drive that provided 1,065 meals to families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“At Avista, we are proud of our long history of giving back to our communities, and we’re excited about our future and a commitment to nearly double investments in our communities as a result of our partnership with Hydro One,” said Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista. When the merger with Hydro One is complete, the Avista Foundation will immediately receive an additional $7 million and $2 million each year to follow. “It is especially meaningful to us to help support the community resources and organizations that make such a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.”
Avista makes a portion of its community investments through the Avista Foundation, a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp. Funds for Avista Corp. contributions come from company profits, and are not included in customers’ rates.
Giving Tuesday Donations:
Energy assistance donations total: $200,000
Twenty-three community service agencies are receiving a total of $200,000 to make grants for energy assistance to qualifying Avista customers who are in need this winter and who may have exhausted all other available energy assistance resources. The organizations receiving the donations are identified by Avista’s CARES representatives (Customer Assistance Referral and Evaluation Service). These reps are specially trained and work closely with our most vulnerable customers and the community agencies that provide support services.
Regional food banks total: $41,702
For those with limited income, feeding their family can be one of the biggest challenges they face each month. Forty-three food banks in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska will receive donations, either directly or through a distributor to help support the vital safety-net services they provide.
Through their buying power and relationships with food producers, the food banks are able to leverage donations like ours to bring several times their value to help stock the shelves for those in need.
Additional Giving: $27,050
Helping agencies meet other needs of vulnerable and low-income residents is an especially difficult task at this time of year. Avista’s support of non-profits and community partners is an important part of our commitment to community vitality.
| Eastern Washington | Program | Donation |
| Aging and Long Term Care Southeast Washington | CARES | $8,000 |
| American Childhood Cancer Organization Inland Northwest | CARES | $11,000 |
| Big Table | CARES | $8,500 |
| Caritas Outreach Ministries | CARES | $5,000 |
| Catholic Charities | CARES | $11,000 |
| Immaculate Conception Catholic Church | CARES | $1,500 |
| New Hope Resource Center | CARES | $12,000 |
| Our Place Community Ministries | CARES | $21,000 |
| Providence Health Care Foundation | CARES | $10,000 |
| Salvation Army of Lewiston | CARES | $1,500 |
| Salvation Army of Spokane | CARES | $31,000 |
| Scottish Rite | CARES | $5,000 |
| Spokane Center for Independent Living | CARES | $2,500 |
| Spokane Valley Partners | CARES | $27,000 |
| St. Francis Guild - Sacred Heart Catholic Church | CARES | $2,500 |
| St. John Vianney | CARES | $6,500 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Clarkston | CARES | $16,000 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Spokane | CARES | $9,500 |
| The GreenHouse Community Center | CARES | $5,000 |
| Transitions | CARES | $5,500 |
| (Sprague-Lamont 4H Club Food Bank) Washington State University Foundation | food bank | $400 |
| Addy Rescue Mission | food bank | $400 |
| Chewelah Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Colville Volunteer Food & Resource Center | food bank | $400 |
| Community Action Center - Pullman | food bank | $800 |
| Connell Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Greenhouse Community Center | food bank | $400 |
| Kettle Falls Community Chest | food bank | $400 |
| Lincoln County Care & Share | food bank | $400 |
| Loon Lake Food Pantry and Resource Center | food bank | $400 |
| Medical Lake Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Northport Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Northwest Harvest | food bank | $5,000 |
| Othello Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Our Place Community Ministries | food bank | $400 |
| Palouse Cares | food bank | $1,500 |
| Ritzville Food Pantry | food bank | $400 |
| Second Harvest of the Inland NW (Turkey Drive) | food bank | $10,602 |
| Southwest Spokane Community Center | food bank | $400 |
| Spokane Valley Partners | food bank | $400 |
| Valley Food Pantry | food bank | $400 |
| Washington Gorge Action Programs | food bank | $400 |
| Warden Food Pantry | food bank | $400 |
| Spokesman Review Christmas Bureau | general support | $3,000 |
| Spokane County Meals on Wheels | general support | $500 |
| Embrace Washington | general support | $550 |
| Idaho | ||
| ABC Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Asotin County Food Bank Assn | food bank | $400 |
| Bonner Community Food Center | food bank | $800 |
| Community Action Partnership - Lewiston | food bank | $3,600 |
| Idaho Foodbank Warehouse | food bank | $3,000 |
| Jumpin' Beans Mobile Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Lifeline Food Pantry | food bank | $400 |
| Post Falls Food Bank Inc. | food bank | $400 |
| Sojourner's Alliance | food bank | $400 |
| Spirit Lake Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| West Bonner County Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Christmas Connection | general support | $500 |
| Bovill Improvement Group | general support | $300 |
| Palouse Land Trust | general support | $300 |
| Press Christmas for All | general support | $500 |
| Children’s Village | general support | $1,000 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Coeur d’Alene | general support | $250 |
| Oregon | ||
| (United Community Action Network) Friends of Josephine County Food Bank Network | food bank | $400 |
| ACCESS, Inc. | food bank | $400 |
| Ashland Emergency Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Community Connection of NE Oregon | food bank | $400 |
| FISH of Roseburg | food bank | $400 |
| Klamath Lake Counties Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Medford Rotary Foundation | general support | $500 |
| Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit | general support | $500 |
| Rogue Valley Dist. Society of St. Vincent de Paul | general support | $500 |
| Living Opportunities Inc. | general support | $500 |
| Montana | ||
| Clark Fork Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
| Montana Food Bank Network | food bank | $2,400 |
| Alaska | ||
| Eaglecrest Foundation | youth ski program | $1,000 |
| Juneau Community Foundation | Hope Fund Endowment | $10,000 |
| Juneau Jazz and Classics | community New Year's celebration | $650 |
| Juneau School District | Project 3 Squares - food for children | $2,000 |
| Juneau Symphony | general support | $500 |
| Sealaska Heritage Institute | general support | $2,000 |
| Salvation Army Juneau | general support | $2,000 |
| Southeast Alaska Food Bank | food bank | $400 |
About the Avista Foundation
The Avista Foundation was established in 2002 with the objective of making a difference in our communities in a positive and sustainable way. Since its founding, the Avista Foundation has made grants totaling over $6 million. The foundation focuses its giving in the areas of:
- education – K-12 education particularly in the fields of science, math and technology; and higher education including scholarships,
- vulnerable and limited income populations – providing assistance to those on limited incomes and support for initiatives to reduce poverty, and
- economic and cultural vitality – supporting projects that help communities and citizens to grow and prosper.
The Avista Foundation is a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp. The foundation does not receive funding from Avista Utilities or AEL&P customers through rates.
About Avista Utilities
Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 379,000 customers and natural gas to 342,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA). For more information, please visit www.myavista.com
Contact:
Colette Bottinelli
colette.bottinelli@avistacorp.com, 509-495-4174
