Powering Community: Lorena’s story of giving back

Growing up with community support

For Lorena, volunteering isn’t just something she does once in a while. It’s a way of life shaped by her own experiences. She remembers the nonprofits that stepped in to help her family during the holidays, making sure there was food on the table and gifts to share.

“Growing up, we had a lot of nonprofit organizations that supported us for the holidays with donations, food and presents — for both Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Lorena said. “My parents had always been so appreciative. So, as we grew up and got into high school and college, my parents would sell Christmas wreaths, and out of that money, we would adopt families to give back for everything that everybody did for us.”

Those early lessons in gratitude and generosity guide Lorena today. Whether it’s participating in park and beach cleanups, coordinating toy drives, or adopting families during the holidays, giving back is part of who she is.

Spring into Action in Salem

That commitment was on full display earlier this year, when Lorena joined PGE colleagues, family members and community volunteers for a Spring into Action event in Salem. Hosted in partnership with SOLVE , the nonprofit dedicated to protecting Oregon’s environment, volunteers spent three hours collecting trash and beautifying a local park.

She said she was struck by how many people turned out — not just from PGE but from across the community. “Other organizations also brought people together for the cause, other little guys and their family members... I love seeing that, because I want my son to see that volunteering is for everyone. Everybody in the community wants to help out.”

The event even drew the attention of Governor Tina Kotek. “I actually didn’t realize Tina was going to be there. It was a nice treat to see her there,” Lorena said. “She thanked us for being there and supporting.”

Lorena J. (left) with her son, and PGE Vice President Larry B., next to Governor Tina Kotek and other volunteers.

Passing along the tradition

For Lorena, the cleanup wasn’t just about beautifying a park. It was also about teaching her son the value of giving back.

“I’ve taken my son to a lot of volunteering events,” she said. "He even had his little picker-upper thing, the toy one that he was going to use. Our celebration was to go play in the playground afterward.”

Including him makes the work more meaningful. “That’s what I’m trying to teach my son with these volunteering events — giving back to the community, keeping our environment clean,” she explained. “He asks me when we’re going to go clean the park again.”

Her son is already connecting what they do together to the bigger picture. “He’ll tell me like, ‘Mom, you’re going to kill turtles, don’t use that straw,’” Lorena said. It’s a lesson he carries with him long after the cleanup is over.

Finding purpose at PGE

Giving back doesn’t just shape Lorena’s personal life — it also inspires her work at PGE. She is a project manager in Grid Operations, where she supports teams that deliver power across Oregon.

“I love the work I do, because I get to support my co-workers who manage our transmission and distribution systems to prevent unplanned customer outages,” she said. “As a project manager, I get to support the subject matter experts to solve issues that impact their work and our customers.”

“One of the best parts of being a project manager is that many projects are cross-functional, which allows me to learn about other departments and how we all are interconnected,” she said. “I love when what we implement — updated processes, procedures or tools — makes employees happier and better prepared for future challenges. Everyone is busy with their day-to-day duties, and I get to take on the project management role so they can focus on the important work that needs to get done.”

Powering more than energy

For Lorena, experiences like the Salem cleanup tie together her values, her family and her work at PGE.

“All those 18 years, that is one of the reasons that I love PGE. It's like a big family, no matter where you are, you feel that from employees,” she said. “You can relate to them, you can volunteer, you can support — and that’s something that I’ve always loved about PGE.”

The Salem park cleanup was just one example of how PGE employees contribute to volunteer opportunities in Oregon year after year. From restoring beaches to serving meals, PGE employees are helping to build stronger communities across the state.

As Lorena put it, “We grew up with a lot of help, and I want my son to also want to help others, help the community, volunteer. That’s what I want him to learn and value.”

PGE Vice President Larry B. and Lorena's son cleaning up a Salem park.