Evergy commits $8 million to COVID-19 response and community help

 

Kansas City-based Evergy  is committing $2.2 million to help agencies, communities and customers respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing its 2020 planned community giving to more than $8 million.

“We know our communities and customers are dealing with nearly unprecedented uncertainties due to this virus,” said Terry Bassham, Evergy President and CEO. “We are making the largest focused charitable commitment in our history. We’ve been serving these communities nearly 150 years, and we want to do our part to help them move forward.”

Evergy Emergency Grants help non-profit agencies on the front lines that have remained open and are delivering essential services to its communities. Eligible agencies align with Evergy’s focus areas of community vitality and environmental leadership, have continued to provide most if not all of their services and have had their costs increase and revenues reduced due to the pandemic. Evergy has pledged $400,000 and already has awarded grants to multiple agencies. 

Evergy’s Hometown Economic Recovery Program focuses on efforts in Evergy communities that will help build back our local economies. Areas of eligibility include small business needs, business attraction and retention, and workforce training and development. Evergy will award grants totaling $800,000 in two phases. Applications for the initial phase begin June 1 with awards made in August. On June 1, nonprofit agencies can visit Evergy Hometown Recovery Grant for criteria and the application. The second phase opens in August with awards made in October. As part of this effort, Evergy will also invest in two small business loan funds, Network Kansas and the GKC COVID Small Business Relief Fund.

Additionally, Evergy will provide a new economic development tool SizeUp to help local communities develop and nurture new and expanding businesses.

Expanding on its flexible pay arrangements for residential and small business customers, Evergy is committing up to $1,000,000 to Dollar Aide, Project Deserve and other programs that assist customers with energy payments.

On May 5 as part of Giving Tuesday Now, Evergy matched employee giving $2 to $1, generating nearly $150,000 in donations for area organizations. “Our employees are always eager to step forward to help our communities when in need,” said Bassham. “This time is no different with employees again going above and beyond to help our customers and communities.”

The $2.2 million in COVID-19 focused funding is in addition to Evergy’s $6 million annual giving to agencies and organizations throughout the communities it serves. Evergy focuses its giving to agencies that support community vitality and environmental leadership.

Source: Business Wire