Southwest Gas Employees Create 2,000 Heat Relief and Meal Bags to Support The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Category: Arizona
April 26, 2025
Summer Essentials and Meals for Unhoused Individuals and Families in the
Phoenix Community
Phoenix Community
PHOENIX (April 26, 2025) – Today, in celebration of National Volunteer Week, over 100 Southwest Gas employee volunteers and their families gathered in Phoenix at Southwest Gas’ Central Arizona Division headquarters to assemble 2,000 heat relief and meal bags to support The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s (SVdP) efforts to assist unhoused individuals and families in the community. As the first partner of the year to engage in SVdP’s heat relief efforts, Southwest Gas helped prepare critical resources as the Valley braces for triple-digit temperatures.
“Extreme heat poses the greatest risk to our unhoused neighbors and our employees are taking action, providing relief and support where it’s needed most,” said Brad Harris, Southwest Gas Regional Vice President. “Our partnership with St. Vincent de Paul represents a shared commitment to both immediate relief and long-term impact for unhoused community members. Through initiatives like these and the support of the Southwest Gas Foundation, we’re driving meaningful change, supporting our most vulnerable neighbors and contributing to a more resilient Arizona.”
Sponsored by the Southwest Gas Foundation, the event began with a check presentation of $20,000 to SVdP in support of its mission. The packing event is part of Southwest Gas’ BLUE – Building Lives Up Everywhere program, which encourages employees to volunteer their time to support local nonprofits and uplift the communities where they live and work. The BLUE program is just one of the many ways Southwest Gas demonstrates its dedication to corporate social responsibility and making a lasting impact. Partnerships with organizations such as SVdP reflect Southwest Gas’ commitment to building strong, resilient communities through volunteerism, charitable giving, and community engagement.
The bags packed by Southwest Gas employees and their families will be distributed by SVdP through its dining rooms and street outreach program. The heat relief bags contain necessities such as cooling towels, sunscreen, deodorant, socks, lip balm, water bottles, and electrolyte supplements. The meal bags include non-perishable, ready-to-eat items that provide nourishment for an entire day.
Not only can these bags bring immediate relief during the grueling summer months, but they can also serve as the first step in connecting unhoused recipients with emergency services and provide pathways to permanent housing through SVdP. In 2024, with the help of more than 11,000 volunteers, SVdP provided 3.34 million meals, 189,325 food boxes, $9.4 million in rent and utility assistance, more than 101,000 individual shelter nights, and 18,479 medical, dental, and wellness visits for uninsured patients.
“Thanks to community partners like Southwest Gas, we’re able to reach more people and save more lives as temperatures begin to rise into triple digits,” said Ryan Corry, St. Vincent de Paul's Chief Philanthropy Officer. “Southwest Gas is among the first community partners to step up and join us in our heat relief efforts this year, helping us get ahead of the life-threatening summer heat. The heat relief kits and meal bags they put together are often the starting point for building trust with our unhoused neighbors and connecting them to resources that can help them find stability.”
For more information about Southwest Gas’ philanthropic giving and community involvement, visit swgas.com/community. To learn more about The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, visit www.stvincentdepaul.net.
About Southwest Gas
Southwest Gas Corporation is a dynamic energy company committed to exceeding the expectations of our over two million customers throughout Arizona, California, and Nevada by providing safe and reliable service while innovating sustainable energy solutions to fuel our communities’ growth. For more information about how Southwest Gas is supporting a safe, sustainable energy future, please visit swgas.com.
About The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people in need and providing the community with the opportunity to serve. St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix is the largest council in the country and has been feeding, clothing, housing, and healing central and northern Arizona families since 1946. It operates a network of more than 80 neighborhood food pantries, four charity dining rooms, transitional shelters, family support services, bill assistance and homelessness prevention programming, as well as a charity clinic with medical, dental and wellness care for the uninsured.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people in need and providing the community with the opportunity to serve. St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix is the largest council in the country and has been feeding, clothing, housing, and healing central and northern Arizona families since 1946. It operates a network of more than 80 neighborhood food pantries, four charity dining rooms, transitional shelters, family support services, bill assistance and homelessness prevention programming, as well as a charity clinic with medical, dental and wellness care for the uninsured.
Media Contacts:
Southwest Gas
Grace Russell
725-312-1623
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Andrea Ariza
602-754-6659
