Corporate citizenship can be a contact sport when you add a little creativity. For the last two years, the Dallas Cowboys exchanged the 50-yard line for the batter’s box to help Reliant donate to local charities. This Home Run Derby competition raised more than $80,000 for the Salvation Army Youth Education Town and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
We’re hands-on with other giving here in Dallas too: Our holiday lights sponsorship at the AT&T Performing Arts Center last December gave thousands of North Texas residents the opportunity to enjoy a free spectacular lighting display. Then we hosted a tree-decorating contest with Booker T. Washington High School students benefiting the high school and the Salvation Army.
If your workplace isn’t already involved in community events or giving, maybe you can be the catalyst. What a better time to make a difference than now?
NRG and Reliant employees don’t just volunteer around the holidays; we are also at the North Texas Food Bank as part of our Global Giving Day program. And we support Dallas youth by providing T-shirts and planners for students who participate in the PLAY 60 Challenge. The PLAY 60 Challenge is a program created by the NFL and the American Heart Association that motivates kids to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day.
The most important contact in the sport of corporate citizenship is connecting people, lending a hand and getting involved. As good corporate citizens, companies must become part of the community.
I’m passionate about this viewpoint, and I’m thankful to work at a company with a community-focused culture. Through Reliant and our parent company, NRG, last year employees volunteered for more than 200 organizations across Texas, giving 6,000 hours across charitable organizations and projects.
If your workplace isn’t already involved in community events or giving, maybe you can be the catalyst. What a better time to make a difference than now? You can start small, follow your passions and serve as an example for others who may be interested. Not all of our community involvement is monetary. Employees serve on boards, mentor children, donate items and get involved in other ways to make a difference in the communities where we live and work.
The trophy in this contact sport doesn’t go on the mantel; it is displayed through workplace morale, community strength and a stronger future for Dallas and the surrounding area. Next time you recognize an opportunity or need, step up to the plate. We are all here for a reason — and we can each make a difference.
Join me. Let’s create a brighter future for our community and our children. If not us, then who?
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Elizabeth Killinger is president of NRG Texas Retail and Reliant.
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As good corporate citizens, companies must become part of the community.
