Special Initiatives

Helping People in Need Initiative:

In 2010, the Sempra Energy Foundation announced its second Helping People in Need initiative. As part of this program, $850,000 in grants were awarded to 114 charities in California and the Gulf Region that work tirelessly to meet the basic needs of families that continue to struggle with the economic crisis.

In 2009, the inaugural year of the Helping People in Need initiative, grants were awarded to 65 non-profit organizations that focused on providing families basic life needs like food and shelter.

One of the organizations receiving funding was Port Cities Rescue Mission in Southeast Texas, who provides food, clothing and shelter for the local homeless and less fortunate. In San Diego, the San Diego County Food Bank was a recipient of a grant for their community food distribution and fresh produce program which serves over 200,000 people per month. Another grant recipient from this initiative was the Weingart Service Center in Los Angeles, who provides homeless programming including long-term transitional beds, employment preparation, job placement services and on-site substance abuse and mental health treatment.