FirstEnergy Foundation Donates $100,000 to Lunch Break in New Jersey

AKRON, Ohio – As part of FirstEnergy Corp.’s (NYSE: FE) commitment to building strong communities, The FirstEnergy Foundation has donated $100,000 to Lunch Break, a food and social services resource center in Red Bank, New Jersey. The funds will support the “Renew the Promise of Hope Capital Campaign” that will renovate and expand the current facility’s food and social services operations to accommodate the growing needs of Monmouth County and beyond.

In 2021 alone, Lunch Break served nearly 90,000 meals, had more than 19,000 grocery pickups from its food pantry operations, distributed over $900,000 in COVID-19 emergency funds for payment of necessities, and averaged 120 participants per month for its life skills education programs. In addition, volunteers gave more than 24,000 hours of service to the organization.

“The FirstEnergy Foundation has been a long-time supporter of Lunch Break. As the needs of this vital community organization have continued to grow, we wanted to show our ongoing commitment to the local community by donating to the capital campaign,” said Lorna Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. “In addition to Foundation support, employees from FirstEnergy’s Jersey Central Power & Light utility in New Jersey have volunteered hundreds of hours to support the many programs available through Lunch Break.”

“We greatly appreciate the FirstEnergy Foundation’s support as our capital campaign expansion plans have emerged from the faces of expectation, appreciation and gratitude that we see every day at Lunch Break,” said Gwen Love, executive director of Lunch Break. “While the effort needed to provide meals and programs is at times daunting, through the support of the FirstEnergy Foundation and other partners, we will not shrink from the challenge as poverty knows no borders.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 28, 2022, at Lunch Break to kick off the building expansion project. Photos of the event are available for download on Flickr.

The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. and provides support to non-profit, tax-exempt 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. To learn more about the FirstEnergy Foundation go to FirstEnergy Foundation.

FirstEnergy Corp. 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 www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.