• Funding supports 13 organizations with up to $15,000 in grants

• Simple safety improvements like ramps can improve security, quality of life

GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- South Carolina's senior population should never have to decide between the necessities of life and living out their golden years in safety in their own home.

"Being able to safely enter and exit our homes is a basic need for everyone," said Mark Champagne, executive director of Sumter United Ministries. "We have been told of seniors in our community being physically carried in and out of their home because there wasn't a suitable wheelchair ramp available."

To assist the efforts of organizations like Sumter United Ministries, the Duke Energy Foundation is providing $100,000 in grants to 13 organizations in the state with existing home ramp programs for low-income senior citizens or those with disabilities who qualify for assistance. Each program qualified for up to $15,000 in funding based on the size of the population they serve.

"This money will make life so much better for several homeowners in our community," Champagne said.

"Safety is the most important aspect of everything we do at Duke Energy, every day," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina state president. "A simple safety improvement like building a ramp can make an enormous difference in the quality of life of our seniors. These grants will provide real freedom and security to the recipients of these services."

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

• AIM (Anderson County) – $15,000

• Caring and Sharing (Williamsburg County) – $2,500

• Greenwood Community Home Repairs – $5,000

• Habitat for Humanity (Greenville County) – $15,000

• Habitat for Humanity (Spartanburg County) – $15,000

• Habitat for Humanity (York County) – $5,000

• Helping Florence Flourish – $5,000

• Home Works of America (Marlboro County) – $2,500

• KARE of Kershaw – $5,000

• Lighthouse Ministries (Florence County) – $10,000

• Rebuild Upstate (Oconee and Pickens counties) – $10,000

• Sumter United Ministries – $7,500

• United Way (Clarendon County) – $2,500

This year's grants are a continuation of the Foundation's efforts to support South Carolina organizations that help make needed home repairs to enable senior citizens to continue to enjoy life in their current homes. In 2023, the Senior Home Repair Program provided $225,000 in grants to 15 qualifying nonprofits of up to $20,000 through a request for proposals.

"The response we received after last year's grants were announced was tremendous, and eye opening as the scope of the need became evident," said Amanda Dow, director of the Duke Energy Foundation in South Carolina. "We looked more closely at the programs implementing this work and refined this year's grants to a single specific focus area – home ramp programs – that will allow for more targeted disbursement of funds and reach more individuals in need."

In addition to the grants, Duke Energy employees will be volunteering with several of these organizations to build ramps in communities in the company's service territory that serves more than 830,000 retail electric customers and stretches from the Pee Dee region to the Upstate.

"We are excited to receive this grant which will enable Rebuild Upstate to install ramps for several older adults in the Upstate, ensuring safe access to their homes and helping them to age in place," said Jake Beaty, CEO of Rebuild Upstate. "We are honored to partner with Duke Energy in serving our neighbors in need."

Individuals looking for more information on qualifying for support from individual programs should contact the organizations receiving these grants.

Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Ryan Mosier
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy