Corporate philanthropy is huge in the United States. Each year, corporations give away millions of dollars to support charities demonstrating, they feel, a level of serious commitment to members of their communities. Houston boasts several corporations that share this commitment and foremost among them is Direct Energy.
Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related service providers with over 5 million residential and commercial customers. We are pleased to announce that they are the 2008 Corporate Sponsor of LIFE/Houston. With 400 employees in Houston and Dallas, Direct Energy’s tag line, “simple, friendly, direct,” is a perfect fit to LIFE/Houston’s passionate commitment to customer service.
Community Service is important to Direct Energy says Zory Ernull, a Direct Energy employee since the company’s inception. “It is a part of how we do business. We have a deep caring for and understanding of our customers and having a better understanding allows us to bring better products to our customers who are in fact, our community,” she said recently. “LIFE/Houston is just an extension and our preferred charity for 2008.
Direct Energy provides electricity and home services in Texas in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. They also provide services through affiliates CPL Retail Energy and WTU Retail Energy. Direct Energy “offers energy-related” services that are “designed to help residential and business customers save energy and effectively manage their electricity costs.”
Direct Energy learned of LIFE/Houston’s Food for Hungry Babies program in the summer of 2007. “Our company believes in supporting our community,” said Ernull and they formed a committee to “research several organizations.” Ernull said the committee found that LIFE/Houston “best fit the brand value of Direct Energy…simple, friendly, direct.”
In addition to an extremely successful Basics for Babies drive led by Direct Energy employees, they are underwriting the entire cost of LIFELine, LIFE/Houston’s signature quarterly newsletter, one of the most important vehicles of communication for the agency.
