“Gifts of the Season” Totaling $60,000 Presented to Nonprofits in Ohio

AKRON, Ohio – The FirstEnergy Foundation has granted surprise “Gifts of the Season” totaling $60,000 to six nonprofits that are working to make lives better in Ohio communities served by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo 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 organizations that provide support services to underserved and vulnerable individuals of all ages across northwest and northeast Ohio. They include:

• Valor Home, Lorain County ($10,000) – Located within Ohio Edison’s service area, this organization provides transitional housing for homeless male veterans in and around the City of Lorain.
• OutSupport, Medina County ($10,000) – Located within Ohio Edison’s service area, this center provides support and informational sessions to the LGBTQIA+ community and their families in northeast Ohio.
• Youth Challenge, Cuyahoga County ($10,000) – Located within The Illuminating Company’s service area, this Westlake-based organization offers adapted sports and recreation programs to more than 150 young people with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and blindness.
• Margie’s Hope, Cuyahoga County ($10,000) – Located within The Illuminating Company’s service area, this center in Lakewood provides resources and services to enrich the lives of transgender, non-binary and gender expansive people in northeast Ohio.
• Bethany House, Lucas County ($10,000) – Located within Toledo Edison’s service area, this domestic violence shelter in Sylvania provides long-term housing for victims of domestic violence across northwest Ohio.
• Monroe Street Neighborhood Center, Lucas County ($10,000) – Located within Toledo Edison’s service area, this organization partners with the greater Toledo community to feed the hungry, strengthen and enrich families, provide physical fitness courses to seniors and bring high-quality housing to community members in financial need.

Pat Mullin, acting President of FirstEnergy’s Ohio 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/veteran-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.

NEWS CONTACT: Lauren Siburkis, (330) 203-8850; INVESTOR CONTACT: Irene Prezelj, (330) 384-3859