Battelle Energy Alliance donates $730K to support United Ways of Eastern Idaho

Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), operator of Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and its employees pledged contributions of $730,000 to the two United Ways of Eastern Idaho and their nonprofit partner agencies in 2024.

“The annual United Way campaign is vital to families and individuals throughout eastern Idaho who work hard every day to make ends meet,” said John Wagner, INL Laboratory Director. “That's especially true this year, with the escalating cost of basic necessities. I’m so proud of our caring, generous employees who have once again chosen to provide funding for critical programs that address housing, food insecurity, and other challenges in our communities.”

A total of $188,800 from Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) in this year’s United Way workplace campaign will go specifically to nonprofit partner programs that assist Southeast Idaho families in need through the United Way of Southeastern Idaho, which serves Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida and Power counties.

BEA employees even increased their giving to United Way of Southeastern Idaho by 14 percent from the previous year, which United Way CEO Shantay Bloxham said is an incredible showing of generosity and dedication to improving the lives of those in need in our region.

“In Southeastern Idaho, two out of five households are above the poverty line, but do not make enough to make ends meet,” Bloxham said. “With this powerful partnership with Battelle Energy Alliance, together we will continue to help stabilize working families and individuals during hard times.”

The INL United Way campaign, the largest workplace campaign in the state of Idaho, is distinctive in that it covers a large geographic area, supporting United Way in three different service regions in eastern Idaho. This reflects both the size of the INL site, which spans 890 square miles, as well as the more than 5,700 employees living across the area.