"Gifts of the Season" Totaling $40,000 Presented to Nonprofits in West Virginia

Recipients provide support to vulnerable individuals across FirstEnergy's West Virginia service area

FAIRMONT, W.Va., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation has granted surprise "Gifts of the Season" totaling $40,000 to two nonprofits that are working to make lives better in West Virginia communities served by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison.

Photos of the Gifts of the Season being presented to organizations by FirstEnergy representatives are available for download on Flickr.

The recipients of this year's gifts are the following organizations, which provide support services to underserved and vulnerable individuals of all ages across northern West Virginia. They include:

• On Eagles' Wings, Marion County ($20,000) – Located within Mon Power's service area, this organization provides equine assisted activities and therapies to adults and children with physical, cognitive, emotional and social disabilities.
• People of Worth, Berkeley County ($20,000) – Located within Potomac Edison's service area, this organization runs a store that offers free groceries, clothing, shoes and household goods to families in need of support.

Jim Myers, President of FirstEnergy's West Virginia Operations: "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. The winners were chosen by FirstEnergy External Affairs employees who identified organizations in their local areas that do extraordinary work to strengthen the community and enhance the lives of vulnerable and underserved populations."

The "Gifts of the Season" initiative was created in 2016 to support programs and nonprofit organizations that align with FirstEnergy's core value of diversity, equity and inclusion. Since its inception, the campaign has awarded more than $700,000 to nonprofit organizations that work to strengthen communities through a diverse lens. To be considered for a gift, the entity must be a first-time FirstEnergy Foundation grant recipient, and the entity or at least 51% of its work must fall under one or more of the following diverse categories:

• Service disabled/veterans-owned business enterprise
• Disability-owned business enterprise
• Minority business enterprise
• Lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer-owned business
• Woman business enterprise

Photos of FirstEnergy's annual "Gifts of the Season" check presentations are being shared on social media using the hashtag #GiftsofFE.

The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. and provides support to tax-exempt nonprofits, including health and human services agencies, educational organizations, cultural and arts programs and institutions, and civic groups in areas served by FirstEnergy's 10 electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.