CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Nov. 19, 2024) — As many in our community continue to struggle, EPB invested $132,000 into the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s Bridge Fund. TVA matched EPB’s funding for a total investment of $264,000 to the Bridge Fund to address basic needs like food, utilities and housing. This is EPB and TVA’s fifth year of partnering with United Way through the Bridge Fund, bringing their total joint investment to $1.2 million.

“As financial challenges continue to create hardships for many in our community, we appreciate the opportunity to engage TVA and United Way in helping neighbors who are facing some very difficult challenges,” said EPB CEO David Wade.

According to financial services company Empower, more than a third of Americans cannot handle an emergency expense like a car repair or medical bill that costs more than $400. Those surveyed indicated it can be difficult to save because of high monthly expenses and price increases.

“Many of our neighbors living on the financial edge are one flat tire or unexpected medical expense away from crisis,” said United Way of Greater Chattanooga President & CEO Lesley Scearce. “Community partners like EPB and TVA provide essential support for United Way to connect people who need help affording basic needs.”

United Way’s Bridge Fund provides direct support for those who have an immediate need for food, health services, transportation, crisis relief, housing, utility payments or childcare.

Separate from EPB and TVA’s support for the Bridge Fund, individual EPB employees committed more than $224,000 in personal contributions to the United Way during its 2024 annual campaign.

In the last year, 211 has responded to more than 62,000 requests, more than half of which are for food assistance, followed by rent and utility assistance. Free and confidential assistance is available through 211 by:

• Call 211.
• Text your zip code to 898-211.
• Email 211staff@uwchatt.org

Across the Tennessee Valley, TVA has supported more than 1,000 organizations with $28.4 million in assistance since 2020 through the Community Care Fund in partnership with local power companies like EPB that provide matching funds.

“TVA has stood on its mission of service for more than 91 years, and one of the many ways we carry out that mission is through our collaboration with local power companies to tackle challenges faced by families and businesses across the Valley,” said Dan Pratt, TVA senior vice president of customer & community relations. “EPB’s support of the United Way Bridge Fund is a wonderful example of how TVA’s public power partnerships can effectively deliver tangible, difference-making benefits at a local level.”

United Way also offers Benefits Kitchen, a free screening tool to help people determine whether they qualify for certain benefits. Text “benefits” to 211-211 to understand eligibility in less than 10 minutes.

United Way of Greater Chattanooga launched the Bridge Fund in 2020 to support the needs of those directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, the Bridge Fund has raised more than $1.5 million to assist 1,600 households. With this latest addition, it's more than $1.8 million. United Way continues to partner with numerous agencies to provide critical services to neighbors in need.

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About EPB

EPB is a customer-focused technology company that delivers innovative power and telecommunications solutions to the Chattanooga area in pursuit of its mission to enhance the quality of life for the community it serves. In 2010, EPB completed a 100% fiber optic network accessible to all its customers as the basis for launching America’s first community-wide Gig speed internet. The company still operates the world’s fastest community-wide internet service today at speeds up to 25 Gig. EPB also utilizes Chattanooga’s fiber optic network as the communications backbone for the most advanced and highly automated power distribution system in the United States. In 2022, EPB continued its commitment to keeping Chattanooga on the cutting edge by establishing our nation’s first commercially available quantum network—EPB Quantum Network℠ powered by Qubitekk. This effort aligns local job creation efforts with the national priority to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technology.

Since switching the lights on for its first electric customer in 1939, EPB has grown to serve nearly a half a million people across a 600-square-mile service area with cutting-edge infrastructure that integrates power distribution and telecommunications. At the same time, EPB keeps customer benefit at the center of all its efforts, earning recognition from J.D. Power as the #1 Mid-Sized Utility in the South for the last eight consecutive years based on customer satisfaction ratings. Learn more at epb.com.

About TVA

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.