Four southwest Riverside County crew members are among 126 Southern California Edison employees on an extended stay on the East Coast.
It is not a vacation for Isaiah Gault of Murrieta, Farren O'Bleness and Louis Calvo of Temecula, and Bob Chong of Wildomar.
SCE deployed the group of employees—and the necessary equipment—Nov. 2 to help restore power to Sandy-devastated communities in New York and New Jersey. SCE's assistance to the area's Consolidated Edison may be required for up to one month. SCE will be reimbursed for associated costs, including labor, through a mutual aid agreement.
Further, SCE, its customers and SCE’s parent company, Edison International, are helping Superstorm Sandy victims with three powerful philanthropy initiatives with funds from shareholders, not SCE customers, according to a news release.
Customers can help raise money without spending a dime. Through SCE’s “Every Click Counts” campaign, the company will donate $1 for every new “like” on SCE’s Facebook page and for each new follower on SCE’s main Twitter feed. The goal is to donate up to $20,000 to American Red Cross relief efforts.
Edison International has set up a special program that will match donations from employees to the American Red Cross up to $25,000. This is a way to enhance the $1.5 million commitment that Edison International made to the Red Cross in 2012.
Additionally, Five SCE employees trained by the Red Cross flew to New York on Friday. This week, they will help to provide temporary shelter and meals to displaced families.
“We are proud of our employees’ and customers’ eagerness to help,” said Janet Clayton, Edison International senior vice president, Corporate Communications, and chair of Edison International's Corporate Philanthropy Committee. “We can’t all do the hard work of climbing poles and stringing wires, but everyone can take a few moments to let the people on the East Coast know that we’re thinking of them, and to help in a meaningful way.”
See photos of the crew members as they work in Ramsey, New Jersey. For additional photos, visit SCE's Flickr page by clicking here.
