Spire commits $250,000 to feeding people in the communities it serves

To help individuals impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Spire has partnered with food banks, meal programs and people to provide food relief for those who are struggling

Spire is donating $250,000 to food pantries and meal programs in its service areas -- Missouri, Alabama, Houston, Mississippi and Wyoming. The donation is part of Spire's broader effort to provide relief to customers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Previously the company announced the suspension of late fees and disconnections into May and a commitment of $500,000 in DollarHelp gifts to help active customers pay their natural gas bills. 

"As the pandemic began to sweep across our communities, we asked ourselves, 'How can we help right now? That's very much who we are,'" said Suzanne Sitherwood, Spire president and CEO. "Partnering with food pantries and meal programs seemed like the perfect fit, because providing the energy for warm meals and moments around the dinner table is part of our daily business and a real need we can help meet."

Spire's donation will be shared across 17 organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, Christian Services Inc., Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Evanston Child Development Center, Feeding the Gulf Coast, Festival for Families, Harvesters Community Food Network, Houston Food Bank, Montgomery Area Food Bank, Ozarks Food Harvest, Ozark Food Pantry, Ronald McDonald House, Second Harvest Community Food Bank, Southeast Missouri Foodbank, St. Louis Area Foodbank, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the YMCA of Greater Montgomery's Brown Bag Bus. The contributions will provide nearly 650,000 meals. 

"We are incredibly grateful for the generous support from Spire to help provide food and hope to many of our neighbors in need during this coronavirus pandemic," said Meredith Knopp, St. Louis Area Foodbank president and CEO. "During these unprecedented times, it takes all of us coming together to support so many people struggling with food insecurity for the first time." 

With school closures, income disruptions and job losses, millions are turning to food banks for much-needed support. 

"We are so grateful that our community is rallying around the food bank to help our neighbors in need," said Elizabeth Wix, director of partnerships and interim executive manager at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. "We have seen a large increase in the demand for our services as businesses are closed and folks are out of work. Donations like this help us to purchase more food and feed more families." 

To learn more about what Spire is doing to help customers impacted by the coronavirus, visit SpireEnergy.com/relief.