The Power of Hope Fund has grown to $2.9 million, thanks to the generosity of many corporate and individual donations. Entergy Corporation, the electric and gas utility that serves the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, launched the Power of Hope Fund and seeded the fund with an initial corporate donation of $1 million.
The Power of Hope Fund will be used to help disaster victims, many of whom can be counted among the ranks of Entergy's own employees. The fund differs from immediate relief efforts of other agencies in that it will focus on helping victims transition from shelters back into the community.
"Even as we complete the largest power restoration effort in our company's history, we are equally concerned about helping our communities, customers and employees rebuild their lives," said Entergy Louisiana President and CEO E. Renae Conley.
Major corporate and individual contributors include TXU Corporation, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP, Westinghouse, Northbridge Group, Entergy Chairman Robert v.d. Luft, Siemens Caring Hands Foundation, Entergy CEO J. Wayne Leonard, Barlett Nuclear, Inc., John Riggan, American Nuclear Society, and Ned Tannebaum & Partners.
The fund is administered through the Foundation for the Mid South. Tax- deductible contributions are accepted by phone at 1-888-355-8168 or online at www.powerofhope.com. Contributions can be mailed to The Power of Hope Fund, Foundation for the Mid South, 134 East Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201. One hundred percent of every donation will provide direct aid to hurricane victims.
Entergy also continues recovery efforts following the worst storm in the company's history. With the assistance of mutual aid partner utilities and contractors, Entergy has restored power to 860,426 customers in Louisiana and Mississippi. All Entergy customers in Mississippi were restored as of Sunday, Sept. 11. A total of 230,935 Entergy customers in Louisiana remained without power on Friday. Immediately following the storm, some 1.1 million of the utility's 2.7 million customers were without power.
Entergy New Orleans President and CEO Dan Packer said, "While two-thirds of the restoration for Entergy's service territory across two states is complete, the most difficult restoration after Katrina has just begun. Over the next several weeks, we'll continue to restore power, but in some areas it will require a complete reconstruction of the system."
