The FirstEnergy Foundation has announced it will distribute $620,000 in grants to 32 food banks and pantries across West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia as part of its Hunger Action Month initiative. This is part of a broader commitment totaling $2.5 million to over 100 hunger relief organizations in six states, representing the foundation’s largest investment in hunger relief to date.
These grants are expected to provide about 1.9 million meals in communities served by Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. The funding will also support meal programs in several Virginia counties where Potomac Edison operates more than 300 miles of transmission lines.
Food insecurity remains a growing issue in the United States. According to Feeding America and the USDA, more than two million people across West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia face food insecurity due to factors such as increasing prices, climate-related disruptions, and vulnerabilities in supply chains.
Jim Myers, FirstEnergy’s President of West Virginia and Maryland, stated: “I’ve seen the impact of food insecurity firsthand, and no one should ever have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Hunger Action Month reminds us that our communities are stronger when we lift one another up. Together, we’re strengthening local hunger relief resources and helping deliver nutritious meals to neighbors who need it most.”
A variety of organizations are receiving funding through this initiative. These include Berkeley County CCAP/Loaves and Fishes ($35,000), Mountaineer Food Bank ($75,000), Western Maryland Food Bank ($50,000), Blue Ridge Area Food Bank ($45,000), among others throughout the three states.
In addition to financial support, FirstEnergy encourages community engagement through dedicated volunteer time-off hours for employees. In 2024 alone, employees contributed over 26,000 volunteer hours supporting local food banks and other community organizations.
The company’s involvement in addressing hunger extends beyond recent efforts. Since 2021, FirstEnergy employees have directly donated $650,000 toward hunger relief organizations focused on nutrition improvement. Over the past 23 years through its annual Harvest for Hunger campaign nearly $7 million has been raised by employees.
Last year alone saw nearly $800,000 donated by the FirstEnergy Foundation to hunger-related initiatives. Combined with this year’s grants for Hunger Action Month so far in 2025 more than $4 million has been distributed for community support within FirstEnergy’s service areas.
The foundation provides support only to tax-exempt nonprofits serving communities within its operating regions; unsolicited grant applications are not accepted but inquiries can be directed to Torey Tolson at the contact information provided by the foundation.
Mon Power serves approximately 395,000 customers across 34 counties in West Virginia while Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and an additional 155,000 customers in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle region.
FirstEnergy Corp., which trades under NYSE: FE https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:FE, delivers electric services through subsidiaries across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York with its transmission subsidiaries operating roughly 24,000 miles of lines connecting the Midwest with Mid-Atlantic regions.
