7.16.2008 - 07:04pm ET

(CSRwire) NEW ORLEANS, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Entergy Charitable Foundation today announced the release of more than $1 million in grants to 68 organizations throughout Entergy's operating area. The grant awards bring to $3.1 million the amount distributed by the foundation so far in 2008.

Nearly one-third of the funds announced today are earmarked to help rebuild homes in New Orleans. The largest grant, $200,000, is for the Volunteers of America's Coming Back Home Initiative, which is an effort by private and government groups to create 1,050 housing units for families who lost or had their homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Another $125,000 grant is going to the Louisiana Housing and Community Development Corporation to develop new or rehabilitated housing to be sold to low-to-moderate income individuals or families in New Orleans. The group anticipates building or rehabbing five to 10 homes a year.

"With Entergy's support, we will have a very positive impact on the lives of our fellow citizens by providing one of the most basic needs and one of the most basic senses of security -- a home," said Timothy Smith, president and CEO of Louisiana Housing and Community Development.

Entergy also gave a $70,000 grant to St. Charles Parish to improve Montz Park and $65,700 to the Central City Renaissance Alliance for its Giant Campus program. Giant Campus is meant to close the "digital divide" by improving computer and job skills for up to 300 participants.

In other areas served by Entergy, an $84,000 grant was awarded to the Arkansas Enterprise Group, a pilot program involving the Southern Good Faith Fund that encourages low- and moderate-income families to save for their children's higher education by matching their contributions to Arkansas' existing college-savings program. It is the second $84,000 grant the program has received from the foundation. In addition, grants were received by the Julius Freyhan Foundation of St. Francisville, La.; the Education for Tomorrow Alliance in Conroe, Texas; the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center, Brattleboro, Vt.; and KIPP Delta Inc. of Helena, Ark.

"The Entergy Charitable Foundation's goals are to invest in programs that help move low-income residents toward self-sufficiency and strengthen the social fabric of the cities and towns we serve," said Patricia Riddlebarger, Entergy's director of corporate social responsibility.

The Entergy Charitable Foundation is a private, not-for-profit foundation wholly funded by Entergy Corporation. The foundation's purpose is to help low-income families and individuals escape poverty by providing them with tools such as education, job training and placement, literacy programs, affordable housing and helping them build assets. The ECF accepts applications three times per year. For more information or to access an application form from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.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 $11 billion and approximately 14,300 employees.