Reliant Energy, Houston Texans Kick Off Adult Classes at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston's Spring Branch Unit During Hispanic Heritage Month; Promoviendo Oportunidades Program Focuses on Life Skills

HOUSTON, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reliant Energy is teaming up with its outreach partner, the NFL Houston Texans, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston to host a series of classes in Spanish for adults at the Boys & Girls Club in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month. The first of the free workshops, hosted by Reliant Energy, begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, when a bilingual Houston Texans cheerleader will share her success story and the importance of English literacy programs in helping Hispanics adjust to their new home in the United States and the role language plays in the achievement of the American dream. The program is a part of Reliant Energy's Promoviendo Oportunidades (Promoting Opportunities) Program that will focus on helping Hispanic adults with various life skills, including language skills, parenting and family nutrition. The remaining sessions will take place through the end of October (see schedule below). Hispanic Heritage Month begins Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries . Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on Sept. 16 and Chile on Sept. 18. Hispanic Heritage Month runs through Oct. 15. The Reliant Energy Promoviendo Oportunidades Program will overlay the Latino Outreach Program already in place at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston's Spring Branch Unit, where parents take free education classes while kids are in school in areas such as computers, basic English and Spanish, and other life skills classes. Already, the Latino Outreach Program has touched 500 adults, with about 90 adults attending each day. "At Reliant Energy, we believe in the communities we serve, and we're lucky to have some great partners like the Houston Texans who also value their fans and the community," said Matthew Benner, senior vice president of Reliant Energy Retail Marketing & Operations. "Our relationship with the Texans has been instrumental in allowing us to offer a number of community outreach programs -- including Promoviendo Oportunidades -- that impact the lives of real people." The Reliant Energy Promoviendo Oportunidades Program Calendar is as follows: * Sept. 15 -- A bilingual Houston Texans cheerleader will share her success story and the importance of English literacy programs. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston - Spring Branch Unit, 8575 Pitner Road, Houston 77080, 713-690-3946. * Oct. 1 -- Reliant Energy will invite 20 program participants to the Hispanic Heritage Day during the Texans vs. Miami football game at Reliant Stadium. Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President George Donnelly will take sideline photos with attendees for recognition on the Houston Texans' video board. * Oct. 3 -- Reliant's energy efficiency expert Dayana Velazquez will share home energy efficiency tips that will help consumers lower their electricity bills, as well as discuss the best energy plans to achieve cost savings. * Oct. 10 -- Houston Texans nutritionist Rebecca Matamoros will discuss the importance of healthy living and how eating right and exercise can be built into an everyday routine. * Oct. 24 -- A Houston Texans player will discuss parenting skills. About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (http://www.bgclubs-houston.org ) has thirteen Clubs in the Greater Houston and Galveston County area, which serve approximately 13,000 youth per year. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," Clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 7-17 years old, conducted by full-time professional staff. Key programs emphasize character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation. For information on how to get involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, please call 713-868-3426. About Reliant Energy, Inc.: Reliant Energy Inc. (NYSE: RRI), based in Houston, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the U.S. The company provides energy products and services to approximately 1.9 million electricity customers, ranging from residences and small businesses to large commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers, primarily in Texas. Reliant also serves commercial and industrial clients in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland) Interconnection. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with more than 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in operation or under contract across the United States. These strategically located generating assets utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit http://www.reliant.com/corporate .