A year after Hurricane Katrina dealt its devastating blow to the Gulf Coast Region, Square D—known in the United States as Schneider Electric’s flagship brand for electrical distribution equipment—has donated labor, supplies and money to eight separate initiatives in the affected region, attempting to rebuild cherished community locations and organizations.

The projects vary in scope from treasured parks and athletic facilities to museums and a medical clinic. The uniting factor in each case is the support being received from Square D to help restore areas and enrich the lives of those who live there. Total monetary donations to the collective efforts tallied more than $1 million.

“Giving back to the community has always been a core value of Schneider Electric, especially in the face of devastating disasters such as Hurricane Katrina,” said Dave Petratis, president and CEO of the Schneider Electric North American Operating Division. “In seeking out numerous independent initiatives throughout the Gulf Region, we could ensure our money was aiding multiple communities and a variety of important projects.”

Square D continues to make it a business priority to act when disaster strikes. Petratis cited the success of the Square D “We Care” program, which helps bring relief to communities that have suffered serious natural disasters by working to quickly restore electrical service and expedite the orders of electrical products. This program also was deployed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 

“We are proud to support such a wide variety of valuable causes to make certain residents of the affected regions are able to once again enjoy special places in their communities,” said Karl Newquist, hurricane recovery project leader for Schneider Electric North America. “More than anything, we wanted our donations to help restore normalcy to some of the many lives and organizations still affected daily by Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, especially initiatives directly related to our youth.”