Virginia Natural Gas awards $100,000 to Pharrell Williams' YELLOWHAB school to fuel students with healthy meals

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Feb. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) is partnering with a national recording artist with local roots to help nourish students at a new, one-of-a-kind school in Norfolk, Virginia.

The energy company is donating $100,000 to YELLOWHAB, a private school spearheaded by Virginia Beach native and multiple Grammy Award-winning musician, producer and philanthropist Pharrell Williams. The donation will honor YELLOW's 'Nourish Youth' initiative in which 40 third-through-fifth graders attending the YELLOWHAB micro-school are introduced to healthy practices and encouraged to practice wellness both in and out of school.

Through the donation, the school will help provide healthy food options and resources for students and their families, while introducing them to new food items they normally do not have access to.

"We support programs that enrich the communities we serve and thrilled to once again partner with Pharrell Williams on such an important project," said Robert Duvall, Virginia Natural Gas president. "This school provides a highly personalized education for the students attending, and we are pleased to be fueling them with healthy meal options and provide access to food education."

Backed by Williams' nonprofit YELLOW, the YELLOWHAB micro-school opened to rising 3rd, 4th, or 5th-grade students that reside in the city of Norfolk and who received free and reduced lunch. Over 400 students applied to the YELLOWHAB lottery of which 40 students were ultimately selected to attend for the 2021-2022 school year.

With the goal of expanding on the equity-focused nonprofit's decade of experience running summer programs for students, the school is tuition-free, and the cost of attendance will be covered by philanthropic support.

"We are grateful for the partnership with Virginia Natural Gas and the donation to support our Nourish Youth priority which provides healthy meals and encourages students to make better food choices," said Stacey Owsley, Interim Executive Director. "This partnership is integral to our ecosystem approach as we continue to develop the most critical building blocks for learning - the social, emotional and physical well-being of our YELLOWHAB community." 

This is the second partnership for Virginia Natural Gas with Williams. In 2019, VNG partnered with Williams for the inaugural Something in the Water festival and was a major donor to help expand and overhaul the community gardens at Seatack Elementary School in Virginia Beach to create a living and educational garden for students.

About Virginia Natural Gas
Virginia Natural Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Virginia Natural Gas provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service to more than 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in southeast Virginia. Consistently ranked in the top quartile for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the company also has been recognized by the Virginia Department of Energy and the Virginia Oil and Gas Association for its safety, innovation, environmental stewardship, community outreach and educational programs, and has been named Local Distribution Company of the Year five times since 2015. The company has been ranked by its business customers as one of the most Trusted Business Partners in the utility industry according to Cogent Reports, and as a Top Workplace in Hampton Roads by Inside Business. For more information, visit virginianaturalgas.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Nextdoor.

About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.3 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with approximately 666,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.

SOURCE Virginia Natural Gas