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The Season of Giving is upon us with organizers looking to present grants to nonprofits working to make a difference in Port Arthur and Sabine Pass.

This time around, the Port Arthur News Season of Giving powered by Port Arthur LNG has an extended the award pool to $40,000. The increase in the funding from $25,000 in 2021 to the current $40,000 is made possible by the generous support of Sempra Infrastructure, which is Port Arthur LNG’s parent company.

This is a great opportunity for the organizations, thus allowing them to continue giving back to others.

There are specific criteria for the grants.

Organizations must be in good standing with the IRS and possess a valid tax ID number.

Most importantly, those seeking grants must explain how their groups are working to make a difference in Port Arthur and Sabine Pass.

There is an online application process available at panews.com through Oct. 24.

Lion Hearted boxing gym was one of the 13 nonprofits that received a grant last year.

The gym was formed in 2005 by Eddie Brown as a way to give back to the community and help teens and young adults stay out of trouble.

Brown worked hard to keep children off the streets and encourage them to change their paths if they were on the wrong one. The gym went from running on donations from Brown and other coaches to becoming a nonprofit.

The grant application submitted last year was earmarked for fighter registration for the USA Boxing National Tournament.

Adaptive Sports for Kids is another organization that was a grant recipient. A.S.K. works with children and adults with special needs, giving them the opportunity play sports at no cost to them.

Communities In Schools Southeast Texas also received a grant through Season of Giving in 2021.

The local nonprofit works behind the scenes and provides a plethora of services, from help with school supplies and uniforms to the Backpack Buddies program, where healthy meals not requiring refrigeration are sent home with children to help feed them over the weekend. They also focus on mental health services, tutoring and more.

Once all of the grant applications are received, a five-person committee of community leaders will review them. Grants are awarded in totals ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Sempra Infrastructure External Affairs Director Kelly Oden-Prasser said company leaders want to continue to be a good neighbor and investing in communities where they have projects, facilities and employees. That is a major part of the Sempra Infrastructure culture.

“Port Arthur LNG received so many wonderful applications from non-profit organizations last year, we wanted to increase our level in 2022 to help fund even more programs and critical services to assist families and individuals in need,” Oden-Prasser said.

Mary Meaux is a news reporter at The Port Arthur News. She can be reached at mary.meaux@panews.com.