Your Energy Matters

"Every year, we are amazed by our employees who rally behind their communities by giving their time, donating resources and pledging funds to local charitable organizations. We are grateful for our employees’ generous support during our annual Power of One campaign," said Laura Douglas, vice president of Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs for LG&E and KU, and co-chair of the 2013 Power of One campaign.

Nearly 70 percent of LG&E and KU employees participate in the companies' annual giving campaign through payroll deduction, more than twice the national average for employee participation in charitable giving.

Each year, LG&E and KU employees donate generously of their time and talents to the communities where they live and work.

This comes in many forms – it could be weekends spent weatherizing homes of the low-income disabled and elderly, leading classroom discussions on economics and job preparation to students, and sprucing up state parks and non-profit organizations, to name a few.

It also involves participating in our company’s annual charitable-giving campaign, called the Power of One.

For the fifth year in a row, our employees have again surpassed the $1 million mark in giving to non-profit organizations across Kentucky that benefit from our company’s charitable-giving campaign. And, our employees’ campaign participation continues to be more than twice the national average.

If you work or know of someone who works at a nonprofit organization, it won’t surprise you to hear that fundraising continues to be a challenge given our sluggish economy. That’s why now, more than ever, local non-profits need you support to continue to provide the critical programs and services on which so many Kentuckians depend.

Check out local news stories here and here to learn more about the positive impact our collective donations will make in 2012. As the state’s largest energy provider, our employees are happy to do their part to help non-profit organizations continue their vital work for generations to come.

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy New Year.

Our employee base knows that when the strengths of thousands come together for a good cause, their collective actions can affect some real positive change in the community.

It comes as no surprise that when the economy suffers so can charitable giving on the whole, despite the fact that in an economic downturn demand for social services increases.

That’s why news that our 2010 employee-giving campaign set all-time records is so welcome, particularly during the holiday season.

Specifically, our employees have pledged more than $1.1 million to 27 non-profit organizations across Kentucky in 2011. Combine that with our Foundation’s additional support and the grand total checks in at just over $1.6 million.

Similar giving campaigns across the nation average an employee participation rate of between 20 and 30 percent for payroll deduction. This year, our participation rate was nearly 70 percent; a remarkable feat that shows community involvement is serious business for employees at LG&E and KU.

So, whether you live in Mt. Vernon or Madisonville, Bedford or Bardwell, Louisville or Lexington, take care in knowing our employees’ dedication to the communities we serve goes much further than just powering your home or business.

That’s something we can all feel warm about.

Here's to a safe and happy New Year.