Recipients provide support to vulnerable individuals across FirstEnergy's Ohio service area

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation has granted "Gifts of the Season" totaling $60,000 to four nonprofits that are working to make lives better in Ohio communities served by FirstEnergy Corp (NYSE: FE) electric companies Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison.

Watch a video explaining how these FirstEnergy Foundation grants will strengthen Ohio communities on FirstEnergy's YouTube channel.

The recipients of this year's gifts are 501(c)(3) organizations that provide support services to underserved and vulnerable individuals of all ages across northwest and northeast Ohio. They include:

• Project Woman, Springfield and Clark counties ($10,000): Located within Ohio Edison's service territory, this nonprofit helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by providing safe shelter and trauma-informed services.
• D.R. Services, Inc., Ashland County ($10,000): Located within Ohio Edison's service territory, this organization assists and trains people with disabilities to experience a dynamic life of their choice and a future of their dreams.
• Catholic Charities, Lake County ($20,000): Located within the Illuminating Company service territory, Catholic Charities' Hispanic Outreach Program will use this grant funding to provide human services in Spanish to Hispanic individuals and families in Lake County.
• Sofia Quintero Arts & Cultural Center, Lucas County ($20,000): Located within Toledo Edison's service territory, this organization promotes Hispanic culture in the community through art, dance, gardening and cooking programs.

Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy's Ohio President: "We're proud to support these organizations because their missions align with our commitment to diverse, equitable and inclusive communities where everyone feels safe, valued, included and respected. The recipients were chosen by FirstEnergy External Affairs employees who identified organizations in their local areas that do extraordinary work to strengthen the community and enhance the lives of vulnerable and underserved populations."

The "Gifts of the Season" initiative was created in 2016 to support programs and nonprofit organizations that align with FirstEnergy's core value of diversity, equity and inclusion. Since its inception, the campaign has awarded about $1.1 million to nonprofit organizations that work to strengthen communities through a diverse lens.

To be considered for a gift, the entity must be a first-time FirstEnergy Foundation grant recipient, and the entity or at least 51% of its work must fall under one or more of the following diverse categories:

• Service disabled/veteran-owned business enterprise
• Disability-owned business enterprise
• Minority business enterprise
• Lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer-owned business
• Woman business enterprise

The FirstEnergy Foundation provides support to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits, including health and human services agencies, educational organizations, cultural and arts programs and institutions, and civic groups in areas served by FirstEnergy's electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.