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Residents and supporters of the City of Port Arthur’s West Side have long noted the historic neighborhood’s limited resources, leading to pockets of folks and families in need of more support.

One of the groups that meets that challenge daily is St. Paul United Methodist Church, which operates a feeding nutrition program providing hot meals and a food pantry for West Side residents and others in Port Arthur.

Those efforts were boosted in 2022 through a grant from Port Arthur News Season of Giving powered by Port Arthur LNG.

“St. Paul is the hub for the West Side,” Doris Hays shared with Port Arthur Newsmedia after receiving her most recent grant. “We try to help the community any way we can.”

Thankfully, the holiday-themed grant effort is back in 2023 and starting early. Organizers are looking to put funding in the hands of boots-on-the-ground community supporters, providing more opportunities to boost Port Arthur efforts.

Investing in the community is a top priority for Port Arthur LNG, and one of the ways that is accomplished is through the Season of Giving campaign.

Kelly Prasser, director of external affairs at Sempra Infrastructure, said company leaders are thrilled to increase the total available funds to $50,000 in 2023. It was only three years ago that the inaugural effort started with a $25,000 award pool.

The money is expected to help fill gaps that many of the programs supported are experiencing.

“The focus of the Season of Giving campaign is programs that provide critical services to individuals and families in need,” Prasser said. “We know that partnering with organizations that focus on the health and welfare of our neighbors helps support our ultimate goal of building safer and more sustainable communities.”

18 grants were distributed in 2022, and campaign leaders are hoping to receive more applications this year in a effort to create greater impact.

Actively participating as a member of the community is vital to the Port Arthur LNG purpose, Prasser said.

“We encourage community organizations that have programs focused on meeting the basic needs of the most vulnerable and underserved families to apply, whether it is for a year-round program or for an effort that focuses on the holidays, including providing warm clothing and toys, hot meals or bill assistance,” she said.

“Sempra Infrastructure and Port Arthur LNG are committed to serving the communities where we operate. We live in these communities, work in these communities, and want to see these areas thrive. We have three core values: Do the right thing, shape the future and champion people.”

The application process is short, simple and user-friendly, designed to best serve area nonprofits working in Sabine Pass and Greater Port Arthur.

The application effort goes live Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 13.

All applications are accepted online, and that can be accessed at panews.com or portarthurlng.com.

Organizers are planning to announce and distribute funds in early November at an awards reception.

“Our community investments reflect our commitment to building and growing our communities, as much as we are committed to building and growing our business,” Prasser said. “A major part of this includes ensuring the health and safety of our communities. Programs like Season of Giving allow us to do this in a way that really makes a difference when organizations need it most.”