MINNEAPOLIS – The holiday season is a time to reflect on giving back to our communities and at Xcel Energy, we are grateful for the volunteer efforts and charitable giving from our employees and foundation. This year, we responded to natural disasters such as wildfires, floods and hurricanes while also supporting nonprofit groups that care for those in need in our local communities.

Xcel Energy employees volunteered more than 80,000 hours to support nonprofits in 2018. Employees also donated to nonprofits and their gifts were matched by the company’s foundation. Through this program, donations totaled more than $6.5 million to 1,000 charities this year. Nonprofit groups also received an additional $4 million in community grant funding from the foundation.

“I’m so proud of the work our employees do to support and improve the communities where we live and work,” said Ben Fowke, chairman, president, CEO, Xcel Energy. “We look forward to another year of partnership with our nonprofit groups as we continue building strong and thriving communities where we serve.”

Xcel Energy is committed to helping neighbors both near and far and in 2018, the foundation and the company responded to communities impacted by natural disasters. After wildfires devastated Aspen, Colorado and nearly a dozen other communities, the foundation provided financial assistance to nonprofits so that fire departments could buy needed equipment. In the aftermath of hurricanes in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina, the foundation made contributions to American Red Cross chapters in those states to help people recover and rebuild.

In addition, the company sent equipment and 200 workers to hurricane-battered Puerto Rico. For more than two months, Xcel Energy crews worked on the island and restored power to approximately 6,000 homes, schools, community centers and churches.

The company’s annual Day of Service is a special event in which groups of employees come together to complete service projects at a variety of nonprofit organizations. This year, 4,600 employees logged more than 13,800 hours during this single-day event. Employees pack food, fill school backpacks, plant trees, do landscaping and complete a variety of projects to give nonprofits a helping hand. Throughout the year, employees generously give their time to help improve the communities where they work and live.