The FirstEnergy Foundation is supporting communities across Pennsylvania through its Hunger Action Month initiative, awarding $750,000 in grants to 37 food banks and pantries. This initiative is part of a broader $2.5 million effort to assist 104 hunger relief organizations across six states, marking the Foundation’s largest hunger-relief investment to date. The grants will provide approximately two million meals to families in communities served by FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, known locally as Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power.
Food insecurity is an increasing crisis in the U.S., and over 1.7 million people in Pennsylvania, nearly 11% of the population, face food insecurity due to rising prices, climate disruptions, and supply chain challenges. John Hawkins, FirstEnergy’s President of Pennsylvania, emphasized that the grants aim to strengthen local organizations’ capacity to provide meals and highlighted the active role of employees volunteering to support hunger relief initiatives.
The grants are being distributed to a wide range of local food banks and pantries, including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest PA, Westmoreland Food Bank, and numerous other regional organizations. These grants support efforts to ensure families across the state have access to nutritious meals, especially in underserved communities.
In addition to financial support, FirstEnergy empowers its employees to participate in hands-on volunteer work through dedicated volunteer time-off hours. In 2024, employees contributed over 26,000 volunteer hours across the company’s service area, assisting local food banks, pantries, and community organizations.
The FirstEnergy Foundation and its employees have been addressing food insecurity for more than two decades. Since 2021, employees have donated $650,000 directly to hunger-focused organizations, and nearly $7 million has been raised through the annual Harvest for Hunger campaigns. Last year, the Foundation contributed nearly $800,000 to hunger-related initiatives.
The Foundation supports 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits serving the critical needs of customers in communities served by Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, and other FirstEnergy operating areas. Including the Hunger Action Month grants, the Foundation has distributed over $4 million in community support across its service territory in 2025.
FirstEnergy Pennsylvania’s utilities serve hundreds of thousands of customers: Met-Ed covers 592,000 customers in eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania, Penelec serves 597,000 customers in northern and central Pennsylvania and western New York, Penn Power serves 173,000 customers in western Pennsylvania, and West Penn Power serves 746,000 customers in central and southwestern Pennsylvania. FirstEnergy Corp. operates one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the U.S., with transmission subsidiaries managing approximately 24,000 miles of lines connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
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