For more than 170 years, we’ve worked hard to safely and reliably deliver natural gas to your home so you can do the things you love —
from taking warm showers to cooking your favorite meal. We also work equally hard to make our community a better place for
all of us. From supporting our veterans, energizing the potential of students across Chicago, upgrading our infrastructure
and supporting diverse businesses, we are proud to work for you. Here are some examples of how we’re investing in our communities:
Community partner spotlight
North Lawndale Employment Network
The North Lawndale Employment Network’s (NLEN) mission is to improve the earnings potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life.
Peoples Gas supports NLEN’s Sweet Beginnings LLC social enterprise and its unique “earn-and-learn” workforce training program, Empowered Now, which serves people with barriers to employment across North Lawndale, Chicago’s West Side and the broader metropolitan region. Empowered Now provides participants with a combination of best-in-class workforce skills training, financial wellness education and industry-recognized credentials, all while they earn an income in the Sweet Beginnings beekeeping and honey production social enterprise.
Learn more about North Lawndale Employment Network.
North Lawndale Employment Network >
Previous community partner spotlights >
Supporting our veterans
Veterans training program
We partnered with our union, Gas Workers Local 18007, the Utility Workers Union of America’s Power for America
Training Trust Fund, and City Colleges of Chicago to create the Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP)
to train veterans to prepare for careers in the natural gas industry. The seven-month program includes classroom
instruction and in-field training. Graduates receive 52 college credits for an associate degree, as well as a Gas
Utility Worker Advanced Certification at Dawson Technical Institute, a satellite site of Kennedy-King College.
We’ve trained more than 700 veterans through the program. For information on how to participate in this program, visit
https://power4america.org/discover/military-programs/.
Career development
Peoples Energy Training Center
The state-of-the-art facility provides annual training to more than 1,600 utility workers and fire officials across the region,
while also supporting much-needed vocational programming to prepare Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students for future jobs in the
natural gas and energy field.
The 100,000-square-foot training center, located at 4228 W. 35th Place, features indoor and outdoor training areas, including a
fully functioning natural gas delivery system with 20 structures for training in system maintenance, natural gas leak investigation,
excavation and directional drilling. The campus also includes an area for fire prevention training with the Chicago Fire Department
and an area for commercial driver’s license training.
Educating Chicago’s youth
Peoples Gas Utility Training Program
In partnership with CPS, Peoples Gas created a vocational training program to prepare high school students
for jobs in the natural gas and energy field. Students from four area high schools participate in the program, which includes a summer
internship, field trips to the Peoples Energy Training Center and after-school courses for seniors to prepare for jobs in the natural
gas industry.
Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program
A partnership between area utilities and the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, the Energizing Student Potential (ESP)
program works to develop the future scientists and engineers of Illinois. ESP brings together standards-based classes for use in the
classroom or afterschool programs for students in grades five through eight. The program provides tools for students and teachers to
learn about and teach their communities about energy.
Support for Chicago Public Schools’ students
Peoples Gas supports the students, parents and teachers of the Chicago Public Schools through a variety of activities.
Our engineers lead science clubs at 16 middle schools and are judges — along with other company employees — at the annual CPS
Student Science Fair. Our Super Savers energy-efficiency education program teaches students
how to save energy. We offer opportunities for our employees to volunteer at work as tutors for CPS students. And we support many area
nonprofits providing services in the schools, from counseling to environmental education.
Cubs Charities
Peoples Gas supports Cubs Charities’ RBI Scholars Program for student athletes. Approximately 140 students across
several Chicago high schools and the Cubs RBI league participate in RBI Scholars every year. The program helps student athletes develop the
skills needed to succeed in school, maintain game eligibility and maximize potential for earning college scholarships.
View Cubs Charities >
Serving those in need
The Night Ministry
The Night Ministry provides resources and support to people struggling with poverty or homelessness. In addition to financial support from
the company, Peoples Gas employee volunteers normally assemble 200 sack suppers each month for The Night Ministry
to distribute to clients. Due to COVID-19, we had to pivot, and are now partnering with local businesses to provide packaged meals on our
behalf. Volunteers also put together hygiene kits distributed to clients each winter.
View Night Ministry >
Commitment to Community Day
Every April, in partnership with Rebuilding Together, Peoples Gas employees volunteer to spend a day making much-needed repairs to a neighborhood-based service organization.
The company’s Commitment to Community Day is its most popular volunteer event, drawing more than 200 employees, family members and friends annually.
Organizations benefiting from Commitment to Community Day include homeless shelters, counseling centers, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and other
nonprofit groups.
Special Olympics Chicago
A team of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas employees, family and friends raised more than $130,000 for Special Olympics Chicago at the 2022 Chicago Polar Plunge. Peoples Gas sponsors the annual fundraiser which supports year-round programs for more than 7,500 athletes involved in Special Olympics programs in the area. Peoples Gas also provides direct funding to Special Olympics Chicago.
View Special Olympics Chicago >
Angel Tree Program
Every holiday season, Peoples Gas
employees purchase and wrap nearly 600 gifts for children and adults in need. Community partners for 2021 include:
White Sox Charities
Chicago White Sox Charities contributes to nonprofit organizations across the Chicago metropolitan area committed to causes such as
fighting cancer, improving the lives of youth through education, assisting at-risk children and families, and supporting health and
wellness programs. Peoples Gas supports White Sox Charities through its Ks for a Cause initiative.
View White Sox Charities >
Sustaining the environment
Seven Generations Ahead
Since 2008, Seven Generations Ahead has educated Chicago students about waste reduction and helped schools increase recycling,
eliminate waste sources and compost food scraps through its Zero Waste Schools program. Peoples Gas
has provided funding for curriculum development and a commercial composting initiative in 14 participating schools. Through
recycling, composting and food recovery, the schools divert roughly 85% of their waste from landfills.
View Seven Generations Ahead >
Friends of the Chicago River
Founded by concerned citizens of Chicago, Friends of the Chicago River helps to initiate policies toward improving the water
quality of the river so that it can support native plants, fish and other wildlife, as well as a variety of recreational uses
and education and outreach programs.
View Friends of the Chicago River >
Peoples Gas Energy Efficiency Program
The program offers incentives to encourage business customers to make energy-efficient improvements, and helps businesses reduce
their energy use and shrink their carbon footprint with assistance from our energy efficiency experts. Chicago Public Schools,
the Art Institute of Chicago and Presence Health are just a few of our business customers that have benefited from the program.
Rebates, programs and incentives are also available through the program, for residential customers.
View Peoples Gas Energy Efficiency Program >
Supplier diversity
Our Supplier Diversity Initiative is
designed to increase access, procurement opportunities, and use of minority-, women-, service disabled- and veteran-owned businesses through
the purchase of products and services. Many of these businesses have greatly benefited from working with us on our Safety Modernization Program.
By continuing these partnerships, we are sustaining our commitment to the economic growth and revitalization of the city of Chicago.
View supplier diversity >
New businesses
Peoples Gas
is committed to supporting new businesses in Chicago. We offer a variety of services to
help you complete your construction plans. With more than 170 years of experience, we work to provide excellent customer service in promptly
connecting new service facilities.
View Peoples Gas builders and contractors >
