News Release > Entergy Louisiana, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Send Support to Southwest Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Send Support to Southwest Louisiana

04/14/2020

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – Entergy Louisiana and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation made a $100,000 donation to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entergy Louisiana will provide a $50,000 donation plus an additional $10,000 to match other contributions, bringing the funds raised up to $60,000 for the area. The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has also committed to $50,000.

The contributions will go toward providing meals for those on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight and provide assistance to nonprofit groups in need of resources. The funds will also assist the United Way with helping Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE, citizens who were heavily impacted by the pandemic.

“We’ve recently invested in new facilities in the Lake Charles area, but this is about us being able to invest in the people,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “We want to make sure that those who are sacrificing so much to keep their communities safe are getting the necessities they need to keep moving forward. We want to keep fueling the region, no matter what that takes.”

The United Way of Southwest Louisiana will coordinate finding both medical facilities and frontline workers in need and local restaurants to provide meals for those workers.

“We’re glad to be involved with this effort and to partner with Entergy Louisiana and the United Way of Southwest Louisiana to address pressing community needs,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. “This approach will help put restaurants and restaurant workers back to work all while feeding those who are in need and who are doing lifesaving work in our community every day. We’d encourage other businesses and foundations to join us to ensure that this important work can continue as long as is needed.”

The funds raised will serve the dual purpose of helping provide those on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight with well-deserved and needed meals, while keeping local restaurants and nonprofit organizations operable during the pandemic. Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association Foundation is also committed to the effort, helping find additional donors from its members in the region to provide relief to the area’s nonprofit groups.

“Getting involved in this process was one of the easiest decisions we’ve ever had to make,” said Jody Montelaro, vice president of public affairs for Entergy Louisiana. “The people of Southwest Louisiana and Blue Cross Blue Shield have been such terrific partners that we couldn’t jump at the opportunity fast enough. Our nonprofits and hospitals are doing so much for their communities, and I’m just happy we could play a small role in that.”

To date, Entergy’s shareholders have committed more than $1 million to the COVID-19 response, including $700,000 to the corporation’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, assisting local United Way partners and other nonprofit agencies to provide aid to working families experiencing financial hardships as a result of the pandemic. More information on the relief fund and Entergy’s response to COVID-19 can be found at entergy.com/covid-19.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to more than 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. It has operations in southern, central and northern Louisiana.

About the Blue Cross Foundation

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The Foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Together, Blue Cross and the Blue Cross Foundation invest $3.5 million each year into Louisiana’s communities and nonprofits.

-30-

EntergyLouisiana.com
facebook.com/EntergyLA
Twitter: @EntergyLA