Dominion Donates $250,000 to Aid Homeless, Wounded Veterans and Military Families

RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion announced today it is donating $250,000 to 10 organizations in six states that assists military veterans and their families.

"Dominion is grateful for the service and sacrifice military veterans and their families have made in defending our country," said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion. "Some are facing hardships and going through difficult times. In recognition of Veterans Day, we are supporting programs that directly help homeless veterans and programs that benefit the wounded and their families."

Ten veteran support organizations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia each will receive $25,000. Dominion employees also will perform volunteer work at some of these facilities.

The grant recipients are:

• Virginia Supportive Housing, Richmond, Va. – has developed eight permanent supportive housing units exclusively for homeless veterans with disabilities. VSH manages these units and provides support services to the residents.
• National Military Family Association, Alexandria, Va. – recognizes the unique challenges today's military spouses face in pursuing additional training or education. The funds will support educational scholarships for tuition, vocational training, professional certification and graduate school.
• Wounded Wear, Chesapeake, Va. – provides modified clothing for wounded warriors that can be worn around prosthetics or medical devices necessary for healing.
• Virginia Veterans Services Foundation, Petersburg, Charlottesville and Staunton, Va. – supports the Virginia Wounded Warriors programs which help wounded soldiers and their families build resilience and cope with the challenges posed from a stress-related injury or traumatic brain injury.
• Homes for the Brave, Bridgeport, Conn. – establishing "Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes," the first community-based transitional home dedicated to homeless female veterans and their children.
• Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, Boston, Mass. – provides support, advocacy programs and referral services to bereaved families of Massachusetts military personnel fallen in service.
• Valor Home, Akron, Ohio – a new 30-bed transitional housing facility for veterans that will be operated by Family and Community Services, Inc.
• Community Service Alliance, Cleveland, Ohio – Sacrament House, a new housing program site, will provide 12-14 additional rooms to meet the growing need for short-term housing, and will enable CSA to meet the needs of veterans emerging from homelessness.
• Mechling-Shakley Veterans Center, Armstrong County, Pa. – provides a community-based residential treatment facility for homeless veterans needing rehabilitation and support.
• Scott Place Shelter, Fairmont, W.Va. – provides transitional housing and support services for veterans (men, women and families).

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. The agency also cites that over the course of a year, about twice that many experience homelessness. And according to the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, the extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks.

"It is critical that we reach out to veterans in need," Farrell said. "America's veterans have served in many war zones, and now they need our help. The grants are funding community-based organizations because they know best how and where the money should be used."

Dominion is making the grant through the Dominion Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm.  Foundation grants are funded by shareholder dollars and the cost is not borne by customers.

Dominion has a long-standing record of military support. In March, Dominion joined four other energy companies in the "Troops to Energy Jobs" pilot program designed to link thousands of future job openings in the energy industry with troops leaving military service. The company currently employs more than 1,200 veterans across 14 states.

Employees currently participate in an award-winning troop support program that has delivered thousands of care packages to deployed soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dominion is the recipient of multiple military awards and recognitions and recently was named one of the "Top 20 Military Spouse-Friendly Employers" by Military Spouse magazine.

In 2010, Dominion, its charitable foundation and employees invested more than $24 million and 150,000 volunteer hours in programs that help improve the quality of life for people in the states where Dominion operates power stations, natural gas and other energy facilities.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 28,200 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com. 

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SOURCE Dominion Resources Inc.