LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and the Latino Restaurant Association
(LRA) today held meal distribution events at Mercy Hospital
Southwest in Bakersfield and
Adventist Health Delano Regional Medical Center. Hundreds of
healthcare workers received a free meal provided by local
Latino-owned restaurants. The events were made possible thanks to a
grant from SoCalGas to LRA's Feed Frontliners Program, which
provides support to healthcare workers and restaurants affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield
is overwhelmed by the generosity of the SoCalGas and the LRA," said
Toni Harper, vice president at Mercy
Hospitals of Bakersfield. "As we
continue to weather the pandemic, our caregivers are working
tirelessly to ensure every patient and family has the best
care. A gesture such as this by SoCalGas and the LRA renews
their spirit and for that, we are eternally grateful."
"This pandemic has impacted all of us in different ways. Our
goal with these events is to express our appreciation for
healthcare workers and support local restaurant owners whose
businesses have been affected by the pandemic," said Robert Duchow, public affairs manager at
SoCalGas. "We are proud to continue supporting the communities we
serve every day."
SoCalGas employees from Bakersfield also volunteered at the events,
distributing meals and care packages to healthcare workers.
Meals for the events were prepared by LRA member restaurants,
La Costa in Bakersfield and by Hole-in-One in Delano. SoCalGas' grant to the Feed
Frontliners Program helped fund the purchases of the meals,
which will support the restaurants whose business has been impacted
by the pandemic.
"The Latino Restaurant Association is so thankful to SoCalGas
for partnering with us to bring our Feed Frontliners Program to the
Bakersfield and Delano community," said Lilly Rocha, LRA Board Chair. "SoCalGas has been
with us from the beginning, starting with a handful of meals to
local ICU units to 250 meals at Adventist Health Delano Regional
Medical Center and Mercy Hospital respectively. The strength of the
program is in supporting two vulnerable and impacted communities -
frontline healthcare workers combating COVID-19 every day and
restaurants who are struggling to stay open."
SoCalGas is dedicated to supporting the health, safety, and
wellness of our community. In addition to supporting the LRA's Feed
Frontliners Program events, the utility has donated more than
$2 million to nonprofit organizations
to support the region's workforce, feed the hungry, provide bill
assistance to customers, and more as part of the COVID-19 recovery.
For more information about SoCalGas' response to the COVID-19
pandemic, please visit www.socalgas.com/coronavirus.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is
the largest gas distribution utility in the
United States. SoCalGas delivers
affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service
to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of
Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of
residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying
clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's
pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to
Californians— about 45 percent of electric power
generated in the state comes from gas-fired power
plants.
SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility
in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly
renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision,
SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional
natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030.
Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms,
landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also
committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while
keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018,
the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and
modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability.
SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:
SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or
connect with SoCalGas
on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas)
and Facebook.
About the Latino Restaurant Association
The Latino Restaurant Association promotes, supports and
educates restaurateurs and small business owners to ensure the
equitable economic growth of the Latino restaurant sector. As a
member association we work to bring our member community together
to advocate for the critical issues impacting our industry and
provide resources and educational opportunities to support
efficient business practices. The LRA strives to create an
all-inclusive Latino restaurant platform for the country.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company