As the storm season begins, Duke Energy has taken steps to support Florida residents and communities in preparing for hurricanes and emergencies. The Duke Energy Foundation, supported by Duke Energy shareholders, has allocated $163,000 in grants to 12 organizations across Florida. These funds are aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness and resilience.
The grants will facilitate various initiatives such as placing AEDs in high-traffic areas, offering CPR training, funding community education materials, providing storm kits for seniors, upgrading weather monitoring technology, and supplying additional resources for emergency shelters. Melissa Seixas, the state president of Duke Energy Florida, emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts in community resilience: “Although we are now entering the official start of storm season, community resilience and preparedness is a year-round effort,” she stated. She acknowledged the dedication of first responders and emergency management officials in preparing communities.
The organizations receiving these grants include:
- American Heart Association – $50,000
- Wakulla County Sheriff's Office – $5,000
- Franklin County Board of County Commissioners – $8,000
- Lake County Board of County Commissioners – $5,000
- City of Davenport – $5,000
- Orange County Office of Emergency Management – $20,000
- Seminole County Board of County Commissioners – $10,000
- Town of Inglis – $10,000
- Hernando County Emergency Management – $10,000
- Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Family Services Inc. – $12,500
- Suncoast Young People Theatre Inc. – $17,500
- Winter Garden Heritage Foundation – $10,000
Duke Energy Foundation has been committed to supporting disaster preparedness in Florida since 2019 with over $1.8 million awarded to date. The foundation also encourages personal preparedness among customers by providing tips on its website and promoting the Red Cross Emergency app. For every app download through June 30th up to a maximum contribution of $20,000.
Duke Energy Florida serves 2 million customers across a vast service area with its energy capacity reaching 12,500 megawatts. The Duke Energy Foundation annually contributes more than $30 million towards philanthropic causes benefiting local communities.