A tall, cold glass of milk is a simple pleasure that many take for granted. However, one in six children and one in eight adults facing hunger in Pennsylvania may not have access to this nutritious beverage.
The FirstEnergy Foundation has once again contributed $25,000 to support Fill a Glass with Hope, the first statewide charitable fresh milk program in the nation, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. The foundation has supported this Pennsylvania program for nearly a decade with grants totaling $200,000.
Since it began in 2015, Fill a Glass with Hope has helped Pennsylvania’s food banks provide more than 40 million servings of milk to families across the state. The program is a partnership between Feeding Pennsylvania, the American Dairy Association Northeast and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.
According to Feeding Pennsylvania, milk is one of the most requested items at food banks in the state, but people often donate non-perishable items instead.
“FirstEnergy Pennsylvania serves more than 2 million customers across the Commonwealth, extending beyond providing safe and reliable electricity,” said John Hawkins, FirstEnergy’s President of Pennsylvania. “The FirstEnergy Foundation is proud to sponsor this year's initiative, which supplies tens of thousands of servings of fresh milk annually to Pennsylvania food banks for families in need, including those within our service area.”
Recently, the FirstEnergy Foundation joined other organizations to collectively donate nearly $182,000 to the Fill a Glass with Hope initiative in 2025. This achievement was celebrated at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg on January 3.
Hawkins noted that supporting this initiative aligns well with FirstEnergy’s commitment to support food banks throughout its service area through financial contributions, food donations and employee volunteers.
Feeding Pennsylvania promotes and aids its member food banks by securing food and other resources to reduce hunger and food insecurities across their communities. For more information or support opportunities visit http://www.feedingpa.org/support-our-mission.
“With hunger at an all-time high and with families struggling to buy food while managing essential expenses," said Dave Smith, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association. "I am extremely proud of the impact our dairy farmers and partners make in helping Pennsylvanians put food on the table. Together we are providing crucial nutritious fresh milk to Fill a Glass with Hope and Pennsylvanians who utilize food banks and pantries.”
To learn more about FirstEnergy’s community involvement initiatives visit Community (firstenergycorp.com).