In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) recently announced it will contribute US$200,000 to nonprofit organizations that support the AAPI community, with a focus on safety for individuals in the PG&E's service area and across the country.
"I stand in celebration and solidarity with my AAPI coworkers and neighbors this month and every month. We call upon everyone in our communities to come together and stand up to support safety, kindness, and respect for all. We are better and stronger together," said Patti Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corp.
Initially, the PG&E's contributions will focus on local or grassroots nonprofit organizations that are working to address current safety issues in the AAPI community:
- The PG&E is pledging US$75,000 directly to local and grassroots organizations including the San Francisco Community Youth Center (US$25,000), the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (US$20,000), Stop AAPI Hate (US$10,000), Hate is a Virus (US$10,000), and the Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (US$10,000). Based in the PG&E's Northern and Central California service area, these organizations are focused on increasing safety for and addressing hate and harassment toward the AAPI community through a variety of strategies and programs.
- The PG&E will donate US$50,000 to the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, which represents 600,000 AAPI-owned businesses in California, toward efforts seeking the support, allyship, and advocacy of other national and regional corporations and organizations in addressing all forms of bias and racism that disproportionately and negatively impact diverse communities.
- The PG&E Corporation Foundation will also match 100% of employees' donations, up to US$100,000, to various organizations focused on social justice, diversity, and inclusion. Benefiting organizations include but are not limited to the Asian Law Caucus and the #AAPIstrong Campaign organized by the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship, also known as the national ACE Foundation.
"The community that I'm a part of, love and advocate for is resilient and strong. Together, we will get through the extreme adversity that we've experienced recently. Collaborating with companies like the PG&E helps us to expand our reach to further support the diverse businesses and AAPI communities we're proud to represent," said Pat Fong Kushida, president and CEO, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.
As part of this contribution, the PG&E will donate an additional US$75,000 to provide broader support for the AAPI community across the state to provide more comprehensive assistance to key organizations supporting the AAPI community.
