New Orleans, La. – The Entergy Charitable Foundation has awarded approximately $1 million in grants to nonprofit groups in states served by Entergy businesses, bringing to more than $3.7 million the total given during 2009.

One of the primary grants is a $200,000 gift to help the Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans’ housing subsidiary build 315 affordable housing units. The group’s Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation is working on Phase 3 of its program, which includes the group’s Chateau Carre Apartments, New Covington, 1770 Tchoupitoulas, and Gentilly Home Ownership projects.

“The Entergy Charitable Foundation is investing in our work to build affordable housing for working families in greater New Orleans. Entergy’s investments in our housing development efforts have helped Volunteers of America leverage over $45 million of additional funds to bring these housing units to market,” said James LeBlanc, president and CEO of Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans.

The group has received more than $625,000 from the foundation since 2004.

Another $200,000 grant is going to a matched savings program run by the United Way of Greater New Orleans. The agency operates an Individual Development Accounts program, which uses government and private donations to match a portion of the savings accumulated by qualified participants. The savings have to be used for certain purposes, including starting or expanding a child care business, buying a car, or acquiring a new home.

The Hendrick Hudson School District is receiving $100,000 to expand the SmartBoard initiative in its elementary schools. The funds will be used to deploy 30 SmartBoards and train 30 teachers.

Another $100,000 grant is going to help fund the new home for the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in the South Westchester Executive Park in Yonkers, N.Y. Ground was broken in September for the 137-bed pediatric and acute rehabilitation center, which will include a 14-classroom special education school for resident children. The Yonkers location will replace the center’s current home in the Chelsea section of New York City.

A $93,000 grant will be used to help restore the Julius Freyhan High School in St. Francisville, La., and convert it to a community and cultural center that will feature a performing arts center as well as two museums, one of which will be devoted to the history of education in the St. Francisville region and the other focusing on the contributions of the late 19th century Jewish population in the area.

In addition, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith is receiving $37,000 for its “No Place for Hate” initiative aimed at teaching schoolchildren to fight prejudice and bigotry of all types. This grant will establish relationships between ADL, Entergy Diversity Council members and up to 30 schools, including teachers, students and parents. The program is already in place in a handful of New Orleans high schools.

The Entergy Charitable Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation wholly funded by Entergy Corporation. The goal of the foundation is to support initiatives that help create and sustain thriving communities. The foundation has a special focus on low-income initiatives as well as educational and literacy programs and efforts to protect the environment.

The ECF accepts applications three times per year. For more information or to access an application form from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, look under “Our Community/Corporate and Foundation Giving” at entergy.com.

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $13 billion and approximately 14,700 employees.

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