IRVING, Texas, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra (NYSE:
VST) today announced that it has capped-off a
summer giving campaign to provide laptops to low-income students
ahead of the 2020-21 school year. The company has partnered with
Comp-U-Dopt, a non-profit organization that provides technology
access and education to underserved youth. Vistra's $230,000 donation, through its retail electric
brands TXU Energy and Dynegy, supports Comp-U-Dopt programs in
Chicago, Dallas, and Fort
Worth, with the funds going directly to the purchase of
nearly 2,000 refurbished, free-of-charge laptops for families
without a computer in the home.
"We understand that this school year is different than any
other," said Curt Morgan, Vistra's
president and chief executive officer. "We also recognize that the
pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income Americans,
including those with school-age children for whom buying the bare
essentials is challenging enough – to say nothing of bridging the
digital divide. The need to do so is pressing: students without a
computer are at risk of losing months of educational opportunity
compared to peers with the proper equipment. Comp-U-Dopt's
innovative program helps ensure those children do not fall behind
and are positioned for success despite the obstacles. We're proud
to support their work and look forward to continuing to do so well
into the future."
Vistra's commitment to the Comp-U-Dopt program is part of its
previously-announced $2 million donation to non-profits and
social service agencies that provide direct relief for people with
critical needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the
communities it serves. This effort to equip students with the
technology they need to navigate online learning is consistent with
key focus areas of the company's giving policy – to enhance
educational opportunities and support community welfare.
"The COVID-19 outbreak and school closures has magnified the
need to get more computers to students and families without access
at home," added Megan Steckly,
Comp-U-Dopt's chief executive officer. "Vistra's support
directly advances that goal and allows us to significantly increase
our inventory at the most pressing time of the year. We are
immensely grateful for their support, advocacy, and belief in our
mission."
According to the Pew Research Institute, 46% of low-income
families lack access to a computer at home. With supply chain
delays and the global demand for devices at an all-time high,
Comp-U-Dopt's mission to provide technology access and
education to underserved youth is needed now, more than
ever.
"Doing business the right way means looking beyond our four
walls to take care of the communities where our customers and
employees live and work," Morgan continued. "All students deserve
to be equipped with the tools they need to be successful, and we're
optimistic that these computers will provide them the confidence to
tackle the school year."
Media
Meranda Cohn
Media.Relations@vistracorp.com
214-875-8004
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a premier, integrated, Fortune 275 energy
company based in Irving, Texas,
providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and
communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric
approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient
power generation. The company brings its products and services to
market in 20 states and the District of
Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale
markets in the U.S. and markets in Canada and Japan, as well. Serving nearly 5 million
residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with
electricity and natural gas, Vistra is the largest competitive
residential electricity provider in the country and offers over 40
renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive
power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 39,000
megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas,
nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition,
the company is a large purchaser of wind power. The company is
currently constructing a 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage
system in Moss Landing,
California, which will be the largest of its kind in the
world when it comes online. Vistra is guided by four core
principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we
compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our
customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees,
and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and
governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at
https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.
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SOURCE Vistra