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A Powerful Serve
12/19/2024
We have all experienced what it means for someone to come alongside us in our time of need. To know that, in this season of good tidings the times are tough for some—some who need a tangible sign that someone cares.
That sign can look like many things—a kind word, a helping hand or an offer to share the burden of providing basic necessities.
That’s the heart of Entergy’s The Power to Care program, started almost 30 years ago as a means for employees to help support our neighbors in need—older adults or individuals with disabilities who cannot afford their utility bills.
“For an employee to say, ‘We want to raise money, and we want to do it for The Power to Care,’ it shows they care about our customers,” said Elizabeth Brister, Entergy director of corporate social responsibility “Not only does it keep customers’ lights on, but it allows them to use their money to buy groceries or to go buy medicine, because we're helping to pay their utility bill.”
“The money we raise is an important safety net and even a lifeline for some of our most vulnerable customers.”
And while nuclear employees have always dug deep to contribute to the cause, this year’s undertaking was augmented by the efforts of a core team of employees who rallied to raise more dollars than ever before.
“I wanted to find a way this year to do something good for our community, because it directly supports our goal to make our customers more successful,” said Mike Spustack, Entergy Nuclear director of fleet projects and organizer of the event. “And then in the same vein, I wanted to try to find a way to engage people in the nuclear headquarters building, to motivate them to do something together.”
And they did it all through pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in America.
“We've been doing all types of fundraisers in the operating companies for years,” said Brister. “Many raise six figures, but it took decades for them to reach that level. Mike raised over $53,000 in his pickleball tournament on the first try. If it was a baseball tournament, I would say that's a home run.”
In fact, the tournament amounted to a grand slam once Entergy matched the funds, doubling the impact of Spustack’s efforts. Each year, The Power to Care matches all employee donations made by payroll deductions 1:1 with no cap on the amount, and matches other funds raised by customers up to $500,000.
“What Mike did is amazing,” Brister continued, “but it also says a lot about the other nuclear employees, because they're the ones who supported his cause.”
That grassroots effort, said Spustack, was led by “dozens of unnamed individuals who were really the ones to make this event successful.”
“Of all the things we support, this cause goes straight to the heart of what we do as a company,” he said. “It helps keep our most vulnerable customers connected to life-giving power.”
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