The FirstEnergy Foundation has announced "Gifts of the Season" totaling $60,000 to four nonprofit organizations in Ohio. These grants aim to support communities served by FirstEnergy Corp's electric companies, including Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison.
The recipients are 501(c)(3) organizations providing services to underserved and vulnerable individuals across northwest and northeast Ohio. Project Woman in Springfield and Clark counties received $10,000 for its work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. D.R. Services, Inc., based in Ashland County, was awarded $10,000 to assist people with disabilities. Catholic Charities in Lake County received $20,000 for its Hispanic Outreach Program to provide services in Spanish. The Sofia Quintero Arts & Cultural Center in Lucas County was granted $20,000 for promoting Hispanic culture through various programs.
Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy's Ohio President stated: "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."
Initiated in 2016, the "Gifts of the Season" program supports nonprofits that align with FirstEnergy's values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Since then it has distributed about $1.1 million.
To qualify for a gift from the foundation an organization must be a first-time recipient and meet certain criteria related to diversity categories such as being service disabled/veteran-owned or minority-owned.
FirstEnergy is committed to integrity and operational excellence while serving over six million customers across several states through one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the U.S.