AKRON, Ohio — The FirstEnergy Foundation is donating $500,000 to 42 local food banks and hunger centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Maryland.
Around this time of year, the FirstEnergy Foundation usually does its annual Harvest for Hunger campaign, but due to the coronavirus, the utility has decided to donate to local hunger centers instead.
The donations include $40,000 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, $50,000 to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and $7,500 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.
They will also be matching up to $1.5 million in contributions to 116 United Ways.
“The FirstEnergy Foundation will infuse $2 million into communities we serve to help families in need during this unprecedented crisis,” said Lorna Wisham, vice president, corporate affairs and community involvement and president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. “The pandemic requires an urgent and strategic response from the philanthropic community, and fast-tracking funding to our United Way agencies for operational and program support is a way FirstEnergy can help.”
