Direct Energy Awards Auberle $2,500 Grant

Pittsburgh, PA (January 16, 2014) - On Friday, January 17th, 2014 at 1:00 pm, Direct Energy will be presenting a $2,500 Reduce Your Use For Good Grant to Auberle, a nonprofit organization that serves at-risk children and families each year in 16 program areas, primarily in eight Southwestern Pennsylvania counties.

Through the Reduce Your Use For Good Grant Program, Direct Energy is offering nonprofits up to $100,000 to implement energy-saving changes to their operations, and awards grants in $2,500 increments. Applications are available online at ReduceYourUseForGood.com and on the Direct Energy Facebook page.

?At Direct Energy, we're committed to harnessing our energy expertise to make a difference in peoples lives,? said Chris Charbonneau, manager of acquisition strategy for Direct Energy. ?Reduce Your Use For Good grants like this one for Auberle will help support nonprofits in decreasing their energy use in order to have more funds to support their mission.?

To apply for the grant, Auberle submitted a short video showcasing their facility and their mission. This is the fifth Reduce Your Use For Good grant that has been awarded in Western Pennsylvania. Last year, Direct Energy awarded Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley with a $2,500 grant for new energy-efficient lighting in its animal shelter in New Kensington, PA. Additionally in 2013, Direct Energy awarded the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Neighborhood Legal Services Association and Conservation Consultants, Inc. with $2,500 grants.

?We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from Direct Energy,? said Lauren Brown, grants and annual fund coordinator for Auberle. ?We now have more funds to work with so that we can focus more on Auberle's overall mission" to help troubled children and families heal themselves.?

In an effort to use social media to drive social good, Direct Energy is leveraging its Facebook community to help award the grants. For every 2,500 new ?Likes? Direct Energy receives on their Facebook page, they will award another nonprofit applicant with $2,500 to be used toward reducing their energy use, helping them to continue the good work they do.

Grant funds can be used for energy-efficient products or services to help nonprofits reduce their energy use. To be eligible, organizations must have a current and active Registered Charitable Number in Canada or 501(c)(3) status in the United States, be registered with and be in good standing with the appropriate state registration agency, and be in a Direct Energy service area.

For more information, visit ReduceYourUseForGood.com.

About Auberle

Since 1952, Auberle has been dedicated to community, strong families and successful youth. Auberle is a nationally recognized human services agency with six sites. Named Agency of the Year in the United States by the Alliance for Children and Families, Auberle serves over 3,000 at-risk children and families each year in 16 program areas, primarily in eight Southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Auberle has helped thousands of children and their families through residential care, foster care, emergency shelter, in-home intervention, education, workforce development, drug and alcohol and mental health programs. Programs include preventative and community-based services, with 40% of clients served in their home, school or in their community. For more information, please visit www.auberle.org.

Contact:

Julie Hendry
Direct Energy
412-925-6773
julie.hendry@directenergy.com