(Above l to r: Janice/ Halliburton Employee, Elizabeth Gil/LIFE Houston volunteer, Torro/Texans Mascot)

On August 24, 2011 our very own LIFE/Houston volunteer ELizabeth Gil was selected as a 2011 Hometown Hero Award  recipient, by Halliburton.  Halliburton donated $1,000 to LIFE/ Houston in her honor.

The Houston Texans partnered with Halliburton, to honor Elizabeth at an upcoming Texans game, Sunday December 4, 2011.  At this game Elizabeth will be featured in a special tribute on the jumbortron, for an unforgettable experience at Reliant Stadium.

Elizabeth is one of our most valued volunteers and  she is always extending a helping hand. On behalf of the LIFE/Houston Staff and Board of Directors, we would like to thank Elizabeth for all of her hard work.  Congrats Elizabeth!

(Pictured above front row left to right:  Sara Updergrove, Carmen Millet, Zory Ernull, Vicki Summitt.  Back row:  Paul Bower, Lisa Granados, Karla Lang, Jody Rogers, Kelly O'Donnell, Adam Runquist and Mark Ramos)

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.”