CITGO Honored With Community Hero Award

HOUSTON — CITGO Petroleum Corp. was named the winner of Benevity's 2022 Community Hero Award, which recognizes a best-in-class approach to corporate social responsibility and community investment.  

The company was selected based on CITGO's long demonstration of its commitment to the communities it serves, both through direct corporate contributions and through the company's TeamCITGO employee volunteer organization.

"As proud members of the communities we serve, we feel a fundamental responsibility to do our part to help to create and support thriving, resilient communities," said Michael Rosen, CITGO general manager, government and public affairs. "Our social investments represent the very best of our Fueling Good spirit — a shared sense of responsibility for improving the lives of others. We're thrilled to share this award with our volunteers and our community partners."

As a Community Hero recipient, the company's corporate citizenship pillars focus on community growth and resiliency through: disaster relief; environmental protection, conservation and restoration; healthcare; and education and social investment.

Earlier this year, progressing its efforts to support resilient communities, CITGO unveiled its fuelService mobile app to assist customers with disabilities and help them locate gas stations where assistance is available, as reported by Convenience Store News.

Highlights of CITGO community investments include: 

• STEM Talent Pipeline and CITGO Innovation Academies designed to increase access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related educational opportunities by supporting educators and encouraging students to pursue STEM degrees;
• Disaster relief and resilience efforts, including short-term immediate assistance to support local partners working on recovery efforts, and long-term assistance to repair homes and rebuild communities after severe storms;
• Caring for Our Coast program, which utilizes education and volunteerism to restore vulnerable coastal and inland habitats; and
• Matching gifts program combined with employee volunteering and fundraising for local partners and national charities.

CITGO has also invested in charitable programs, including the private, nonprofit Simón Bolívar Foundation, which provides capacity-building for medical professionals in Venezuela.

Benevity's Community Hero Award focuses in the corporate purpose programs category. Companies are evaluated on their ability to build close relationships with nonprofit partners, engage employees in strategic decision-making, and measure and communicate impact in innovative ways, as part of Benevity's annual Corporate Goodness Awards program.

The 2022 Goodie Award winners were recognized at Benevity's annual Goodness Matters conference, held on June 2 in San Diego, Calif. More information on the company's corporate social responsibility and community programs can be found at  CITGO.com/responsibility.