Meeting people where they live — Alice Rockingham

Alice Rockingham plays board games with friends most every afternoon at the local center for seniors in her hometown of Port Gibson, Mississippi.

In her younger years, Alice worked at a local flower shop and also at a convenience store until they closed because of lack of business. She said there was "nothin' much in Port Gibson for anyone to do" as an explanation of the struggling financial climate of her town.

"The Grand Gulf (power plant) is close by, but only certain people can do those kinds of jobs," Alice says. "All I have for income now is my husband's Social Security and a little pension from the VA. There are a lot of people who need help but can't get it."

In October 2009, an energetic crew of volunteers from that Entergy plant spent their day-off weatherizing Alice's home-caulking, installing energy-efficient fixtures and repairing her air-conditioner.

Over the past decade, Entergy employees have increased their voluntary outreach to their communities by almost 500 percent. We count it a privilege to lend a hand now to people like Alice, who built the communities we serve.