JACKSON, Miss. – In response to the recent tornadoes that devastated several counties in Entergy Mississippi’s service area, the company is committing $25,000 to providing critical relief to families and individuals hit by the storms.

The donation, which is made possible by Entergy shareholders, is going to the American Red Cross, which has quickly mobilized to address the immediate needs of residents recovering from the disaster. The donation will provide warm meals, safe shelter, and relief supplies to those in need.

“We’ve taken on the responsibility of serving our communities past providing electricity. This weather event has devastated some families, and we hope this donation will help them at the beginning of this hard road towards recovery,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO.

Each year, Entergy proactively awards grants to disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross so that when disaster strikes, they can respond immediately in one of Entergy’s service areas, ensuring that families impacted by the storm receive the assistance they require.

Of the counties that were impacted by the March 15 weather event, multiple are served by Entergy Mississippi, including Grenada, Issaquena, Sharkey, Walthall, Smith, Sunflower, Rankin, Madison, Copiah, and Carroll counties.

In the wake of the tornadoes, more than 860 workers, including lineworkers, tree trimmers, contractors, and support personnel were engaged in getting power restored to the 9,200 Entergy Mississippi customers who lost power. They restored a vast majority of the impacted customers by Sunday, and all customers who could safely receive power by Wednesday.

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi provides electricity to approximately 459,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than , Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Mississippi, visit the  and connect with @EntergyMS on social media.

That sign can look like many things—a kind word, a helping hand or an offer to share the burden of providing basic necessities.

That’s the heart of Entergy’s The Power to Care program, started almost 30 years ago as a means for employees to help support our neighbors in need—older adults or individuals with disabilities who cannot afford their utility bills.

“For an employee to say, ‘We want to raise money, and we want to do it for The Power to Care,’ it shows they care about our customers,” said Elizabeth Brister, Entergy director of corporate social responsibility “Not only does it keep customers’ lights on, but it allows them to use their money to buy groceries or to go buy medicine, because we’re helping to pay their utility bill.”

“The money we raise is an important safety net and even a lifeline for some of our most vulnerable customers.”

And while nuclear employees have always dug deep to contribute to the cause, this year’s undertaking was augmented by the efforts of a core team of employees who rallied to raise more dollars than ever before.

“I wanted to find a way this year to do something good for our community, because it directly supports our goal to make our customers more successful,” said Mike Spustack, Entergy Nuclear director of fleet projects and organizer of the event. “And then in the same vein, I wanted to try to find a way to engage people in the nuclear headquarters building, to motivate them to do something together.”

And they did it all through pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

“We’ve been doing all types of fundraisers in the operating companies for years,” said Brister. “Many raise six figures, but it took decades for them to reach that level. Mike raised over $53,000 in his pickleball tournament on the first try. If it was a baseball tournament, I would say that’s a home run.”

In fact, the tournament amounted to a grand slam once Entergy matched the funds, doubling the impact of Spustack’s efforts. Each year, The Power to Care matches all employee donations made by payroll deductions 1:1 with no cap on the amount, and matches other funds raised by customers up to $500,000.

“What Mike did is amazing,” Brister continued, “but it also says a lot about the other nuclear employees, because they’re the ones who supported his cause.”

That grassroots effort, said Spustack, was led by “dozens of unnamed individuals who were really the ones to make this event successful.”

“Of all the things we support, this cause goes straight to the heart of what we do as a company,” he said. “It helps keep our most vulnerable customers connected to life-giving power.”

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With such broad participation, the $6,190 total of all goods and money collected exceeded the campaign goal of $5,000.

The drive, sponsored by Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group and the company’s North American Young Generation in Nuclear and Women in Nuclear chapters, will benefit the U.S. Army 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and other selected units deployed overseas, as well as veterans in the Baton Rouge area.

“We had a great turnout, lots of donations that came from employees in all four states,” said Ashleigh Lyons, nuclear headquarters chairperson for the VERG. “I’m especially grateful for our groups in Entergy Texas, considering it was the first year they participated.”

Between June 10-28, Entergy employees brought their donations to their work locations, and on Oct. 4, Lyons delivered the collection to the Blue Star Mothers of America, Louisiana chapter 1, based in Baton Rouge. The organization packed some of the donations—including 200 handmade goodie bags from the Texas VERG chapter—into drawstring backpacks donated by the nuclear headquarters chapter. BSMA will distribute the backpacks via their homeless backpack program based in Baton Rouge.

The organization will send the remaining supplies to programs that support deployed soldiers, homeless veterans and military families staying in Fisher House while loved ones are treated at the Baton Rouge Veterans Affairs hospital.

Monetary donations will pay for shipping costs for the overseas care packages and to purchase more items that are still needed.

In expressing gratitude on behalf of the BSMA, Chapter President Denise Whitehead said, “We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the employees of Entergy. Your Christmas in July campaign was a huge success. The donations will fill many care packages for our deployed military.”

“We also want you to know that your donations extended beyond care packages,” she continued. “They helped to fill the 60 backpacks that Entergy provided for our campaign to minister to homeless veterans. We were able to include items in an additional 50 backpacks for the Veterans Affairs hospital and Fisher House. You have helped to embrace both active-duty military and veterans, one heart at a time.”

Total Entergy donations are as follows:

• Monetary donations: $3,495.00 
• Amazon gift card total: $625.00 
• Goods: $2,069.68 

“I am beyond words on how thankful I am for all the donations made to this year’s campaign,” said Lyons. “It allowed the Veterans ERG to exceed the $5,000 goal set this year, given we opened it up to the entire company. I look forward to continuing this tradition here at Entergy in the upcoming years to continue to show our active duty and veteran community that we, Entergy, care about them.”

NEW ORLEANS – Entergy’s proactive disaster relief efforts have provided $150,000 in crucial funding to support communities affected by Hurricane Francine. By partnering with the American Red Cross and United Way of Southeast Louisiana ahead of the storm, Entergy ensured that resources were in place to offer safe shelter, warm meals and relief supplies to those in need.

“We are proud to work alongside our partners to ensure they are equipped to respond effectively to disasters in our service area,” said Patty Riddlebarger, Entergy’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “Our annual disaster response commitment generously provided by Entergy shareholders, enables our partners to have the infrastructure, trained volunteers, and critical resources necessary to offer relief and support to those in need.”

Each year, the company proactively awards grants to disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross and United Way so that when disaster strikes, they can respond immediately in one of Entergy’s service areas, ensuring that families impacted by the storm receive the assistance they require. 

Due to Entergy shareholders’ $100,000 commitment to the American Red Cross and $50,000 donation to United Way for Hurricane Francine relief, hundreds of dedicated volunteers were able to work through the storm to provide essential assistance to impacted communities across Louisiana and Mississippi, including:

American Red Cross

• Opened and staffed six shelters to provide shelter, meals and support for more than 160 individuals in need.

• Deployed emergency response vehicles to provide essential feeding services and disaster emergency supplies to those in need.

• Gathered data from county emergency officials and conducted door-to-door damage assessments in low lying areas and where rainfall accumulations were the highest.

United Way of Southeast Louisiana 

• Distributed food, water, post storm cleanup supplies and gift cards for impacted residents.

• Set up drive through supply distribution sites at the J. Wayne Leonard Prosperity Center on Canal Street, as well as prosperity center locations in New Orleans East, Covington and Bogalusa.

At Entergy, storm preparation is a year-round process that includes training, vegetation management, equipment inspections and industry collaborations. Preparation is critical to a safe and efficient restoration. Learn more how we prepare for severe weather on the .

About Entergy

Entergy (NYSE: ETR) is a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and connect with @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife

“A skilled workforce is critical to the electrical industry’s long-term success and commitment to the communities we serve. We hope this donation will lay the groundwork for many future careers,” said Richie Moore, director of region distribution operations at Entergy Mississippi.

“We’re grateful to Entergy for helping us provide essential hands-on experience that our students will most definitely need once they complete the course and enter the workforce. We’re offering this program in response to the increased demand for lineworkers in the electrical utility industry,” said Jason Webb, dean of construction and manufacturing at Hinds Community College.

Learning the techniques to safely work on a utility pole, at a deenergized training yard, is fundamental for lineworkers.

“Safety is a core value at Entergy. What better way to support aspiring lineworkers and promote safety than to provide them with the proper equipment to practice the skills they’ll need on the job,” said Chad Upton, supervisor of learning and development at Entergy.

In addition to providing new poles for the program, Entergy advised the school on the program curriculum and installed the poles at the Raymond Campus at no cost to the school.

“When a college comes to you wanting to develop a program and curriculum similar to yours, that means you’re producing great work. These students should finish this program a step ahead, ready to easily transition into the workforce. That’s what the industry needs,” said Michael McNair, senior technical training specialist at Entergy.

This 16-week intensive program includes courses on:

• Safety for Line Workers
• National Electrical Code
• Fundamentals of Electricity for Line Workers
• Pole Climbing
• Interpersonal Skills for Line Workers
• Truck Driving for Line Workers

The first cohort began class in August, and up to 16 students will be accepted per semester. Upon completion, students will receive a certificate so potential employers can see what they learned.

“My father retired from Entergy with 29 years of service. He always spoke highly of Entergy and has many good memories of his time with the company. So having their assistance in getting this program off the ground is quite special for me,” added Webb.

For more information, and to apply for the next semester, visit .

For information on lineworker career opportunities with Entergy, visit .

Entergy’s newly launched online connects customers to bill management, energy efficiency and financial assistance resources. This new resource helps our customers explore simple ways they can lower their electricity use and costs.

“In the face of extreme temperatures, we’re continuing to take steps to keep costs down for customers with some of the lowest electricity rates in the country,” said Robbie Kemp, vice president of customer service. “To help our customers take control of their budget and save money in extreme heat, we are connecting them with tools to monitor their energy use, manage their bills and find financial assistance.”

Track your energy usage

Bill management tools like empower our customers to set electricity usage alerts and monitor how much energy they use each day. Tracking electricity usage over time can help customers identify habits that contribute to higher usage and budget their monthly expenses. With their myAdvisor dashboard, customers have access to usage and cost details, bill history, bill projections and analyzer tools and more.

Manage your bills your way

Entergy Mississippi offers several flexible payment options so customers can choose when, where and how they receive their bills.

• allows customers to pay their bills when it works best for them.
• allows customers to “level out” seasonal energy use fluctuations, making their bills more consistent every month.
• billing allows customers to get their bills emailed as soon as they post and instant access to two years of billing history.
• allows customers to avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having bills automatically deduct from their bank accounts.

Entergy Mississippi encourages customers who may need additional payment options to reach out before a payment is due. To see if customers automatically qualify for deferred payment arrangements or payment extensions, they can visit our mobile app or .

Find financial assistance

For customers needing assistance to pay their bills, Entergy Mississippi is here to help. Throughout this summer, Entergy Mississippi is implementing a series of measures through its “Beat the Heat” program focused on helping our low-income customers and communities stay cool and pay their bills.

Most recently, the program assisted than 400 customers in Cleveland, Mississippi. Entergy volunteers partnered with local community advocate organization Boss Lady Economic Planning Development to distribute energy efficiency kits, box fans, cases of water, lawn chairs, and plastic swimming pools. Customers in Jackson received energy efficiency kits and box fans at a drive-thru event held in partnership with New Horizon Church.

 

In addition, Entergy Mississippi partners with local and state organizations to connect qualifying customers with financial assistance including:

• The Power to Care program provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities.
• makes it easy for customers to quickly and confidentially check their eligibility for federal, state and local financial assistance.
• provides financial assistance for energy bills and other energy-related expenses.

For more ways to save energy and money, customers can visit .

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 459,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than , Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Mississippi, visit the and connect with @EntergyMS on social media.

In addition to deep-cleaning sidewalks, planting flowers and performing general clean-up, volunteers donated and distributed more than $8,000 in school supplies and presented school leaders with a $20,000 grant.

The money will provide each classroom in grades 1-5 with eight Virtual Reality headsets and charging cases. A key benefit of using VR in education is the immersive learning experience it provides.

“We’re very excited to bring VR learning to our scholars,” said Principal Jocelyn Smith. “Virtual reality brings 2D objects to life and makes visualization a reality, enabling users to experience real scenarios or fabricated experiences over and over. Through tutoring and incorporating VR in our teachers’ everyday lessons, we anticipate VR helping our scholars maintain or gain proficiency on our state test, as well as district benchmark assessments.”

Entergy Nuclear adopted North Jackson Elementary School as its new Adopt-A-School partner in 2022. The school is about five miles from the company’s headquarters and is the largest elementary school in the north Jackson area. It serves approximately 430 students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

“Strong communities provide a better quality of life for all who live there, so it’s important to us to give back to the communities where our employees and customers live and work,” said Kimberly Cook-Nelson, Entergy chief nuclear officer. “Our partnership with North Jackson Elementary is strong and provides us with opportunities for our people to volunteer in a number of ways throughout the year, from back-to-school supply drives, to judging science fairs, to reading, tutoring, and more.”

This was the third consecutive year Entergy team members have participated in the district’s annual event.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Entergy’s Arkansas Nuclear One recently donated one of its armed security vehicles to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office for use in law enforcement activities.

Entergy uses the vehicles for protecting the health and safety of the public from radiological sabotage, but is donating this one as a means of good stewardship in the community and to help foster a symbiotic partnership with local officials.

“We are honored that we’re able to support local law enforcement with this donation,” said Doug Pehrson, ANO site vice president. “And we are proud to power life by supporting our community in this way.”

The Lenco BearCat is a wheeled SWAT vehicle designed for military and law enforcement use. The vehicle is based on a Ford F-550 Super Duty commercial truck chassis with a diesel engine, and a six-speed automatic transmission. The steel armored bodywork includes ballistic glass capable of multi-hits, blast-resistant floors, gunports, roof hatches and other equipment.

“We are grateful for this generous donation to our department,” said Sheriff Shane Jones. “Not only will this vehicle allow the sheriff’s office to respond to events in Pope County, but it will also allow us to respond to a potential event at Arkansas Nuclear One.”

Lenco BearCats have been credited with saving the lives of officers in armed confrontations on numerous occasions.

Supporting and improving the quality of life in communities where Entergy operates through strategic investments is a core value. Entergy strives to contribute to a society that is healthy, educated, environmentally safe and productive.

From a former golf pro to weekend duffers, golfers of all skill levels enjoyed the challenges of the Country Club of Jackson’s 18-hole PGA Tour course. Before teeing off, Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly thanked the teams for their support and announced record-setting fundraising effort.

Themed “The Mississippi Masters,” teams competed for green jackets, a championship belt and bragging rights as the tournament’s first titleholders. The Deviney team earned the title with a score of 56, followed closely by second-place team T&C Specialty Distributors with a 59 and third-place team Quanta with a 60. The tournament also featured two skill events: closest to the hole on hole number 10, which went to Troy Vaughn, and longest drive on hole number 18, which was awarded to Brian Herrington.

Other highlights of the round included Charlie Warriner of the A1 Kendrick Fence team hitting a hole-in-one on hole number four and golfers finding an alligator sunbathing on the shore of a water hazard within the course.

“This tournament is an opportunity to engage with some of our vendors for a fun day while also giving back to our community,” said Robby Fox, capital projects procurement specialist, who is a former PGA Golf Professional and also led the planning efforts for the event. “Thanks to a dedicated planning committee and tremendous support from Entergy and our vendors, we had a wonderful turnout for our first year that resulted in a significant donation for The Power to Care.”

The Power to Care provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities in their time of need. All donations go directly to helping our customers make payments on their Entergy bill and are not used for fundraising or administrative purposes.

A number of Entergy’s suppliers supported the cause including diamond sponsors Black & Veatch, Sargent & Lundy and Mitsubishi Power; platinum sponsors PSC Primoris and W-S Mechanical Group; gold sponsors E3 Environmental, Wise Carter, Magnolia Utility Services, The Park Company, Quanta and Irby Construction; silver sponsors Headwaters, T&C Specialty Distributors, Siemens ���ϳԹ���, Kiewit, Osmose, A-1 Kendrick Fence Company, JBHM Architecture, Chain Electric, Canadian Solar and Wesco; and bronze sponsors Irby, Howard Industries, B&B Electric, Preferred Sales Agency, Aertker Company, EDG, M&S Engineering, Leidos, FUCICH, Valmont Utility and Ampirical.

In addition to Fox, the planning committee included Cade Clanton, manager, sustainability generation and innovation, Brian Johnson, manager, category management, Chad Myers, category management specialist, and Austin Williams, senior capital projects procurement specialist, and Valarie Mabry, public affairs analyst. Volunteers also assisted with registration and other tournament duties to help make the event a success.

Every donation to The Power to Care program is matched dollar for dollar up to $500,000 by Entergy shareholders, doubling the impact of your generosity. Plus, your contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Learn how you can make a contribution at entergy.com/care.

Our employees carry out that task every day, engaging in our communities and providing thousands of volunteer hours to make them better. In 2023, employees in Arkansas dedicated more than 29,000 hours of volunteer service valued at over $922,000.

“As a company, our mission is to continually improve the communities we serve and create sustainable value and quality of life,” said Brandi Hinkle with Entergy Arkansas Corporate Social Responsibility. “Employees do this through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy.”

Our philanthropic focus

Across the company, those efforts are focused primarily on the broad pillars of poverty solutions, education and workforce development, and environmental programs. Additionally, the areas of healthy families, arts and culture, and community enrichment are part of the overall strategy to contribute to a society that is healthy, educated, environmentally safe and productive.

“Each employee is encouraged to volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per year – on the clock – but also to go above and beyond that to impact our friends and neighbors in a positive way,” Hinkle said. “We reward those employees with a grant of $250 to the nonprofit of their choice for every 20 hours of volunteer service, up to $750 per year.

“By using our dollars and time to alleviate food insecurity, provide equitable education and workforce opportunities, and help sustain healthy families, we can help our customers and their families move beyond survival into growth and greater well-being,” Hinkle said.

Grants are funded from shareholder profit, not customer dollars, and company shareholders contributed nearly $2 million to nonprofit partners in Arkansas that align with our areas of focus. More than 200 grants were awarded, many of which also included volunteer opportunities for employees. Programs that were funded ranged from emergency response and relief services to scholarships and youth services, food pantries and community safety events.

The largest grants were given to six nonprofits to celebrate the company’s 110^th anniversary. Each of the following organizations received a $110,000 grant as part of the Entergy Arkansas Bright Futures Campaign:

• Arkansas Community Foundation
• Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
• Arkansas STEM Coalition
• Habitat for Humanity
• The Nature Conservancy
• Women’s Foundation of Arkansas

Along with receiving the grant, each of these organizations will provide Entergy Arkansas employees with opportunities to volunteer and help with designated projects, such as stuffing backpacks with food for children in need or planting trees and litter cleanup.

Doing more in ‘24

So far in 2024, Entergy Arkansas employees aim to exceed last year’s service hours and have already participated in several important volunteer initiatives to help and serve our customers. A few of the largest endeavors this year include:

Super Tax Day

IRS-certified volunteers with Entergy Arkansas and other nonprofit partners provided free tax return preparation for qualified customers as part of the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and other services at Super Tax Day events throughout tax season. During the Super Tax Day events, customers receive counseling regarding tax credits and deductions they may be eligible for, including the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the nation’s most effective means of lifting Americans out of poverty. Tax preparation volunteers help customers determine if they are eligible for this and other tax credits in an effort to maximize their tax refunds.

Eclipse glasses

In preparation for the April 8 total solar eclipse, Entergy Arkansas partnered with the Arkansas STEM Coalition to purchase and distribute free eclipse glasses to all public schools in our service territory. A grant from Entergy Arkansas helped fund the purchase of more than 625,000 pairs of eclipse glasses, enough for all preK-12 students, teachers and staff. Volunteers from the STEM Coalition, Entergy Arkansas and other groups worked for more than six weeks to sort and deliver the glasses.

Girls of Promise STEAM conference

Entergy Arkansas participated in the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Girls of Promise “Full STEAM Ahead” conference, which introduced 8th grade girls across the state to potential STEAM careers. Nearly 150 girls from 20 counties were able to meet women leaders in the fields of engineering, finance and more. The goal is to increase the number of girls in higher-level STEAM courses and careers to put them on the path to achieving economic security as adults.

We have planned philanthropy events each month throughout the year with our existing partners and are continually looking for new partners and ways to impact the communities we serve. Entergy is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged culture that inspires all individuals to work together to operate a world-class energy business for our customers, employees, communities and owners now and into the future. We’re proud to say that every employee volunteer hour makes a difference in achieving our goals.