Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., recently donated more than 83,000 pounds of food items to 10 food banks and religious organizations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania following tropical storm Isaias. The items had been purchased to feed thousands of utility workers who assisted in restoring service to approximately 800,000 customers after the storm severely impacted the region.
The JCP&L's donation was supplemented by an additional FirstEnergy Foundation contribution of US$50,000 to benefit food banks in the region.
Delivery of fresh vegetables, beverages, dairy products, meats, and frozen goods from JCP&L staging site locations to organizations in Monmouth, Ocean, Union, Morris, Sussex, Hunterdon, and Warren counties in New Jersey and North Hampton County in Pennsylvania was completed on Aug. 17.
The donation of approximately US$71,000 worth of food can provide approximately 100,000 meals for families in need. Combined with the FirstEnergy Foundation donation, area food banks received more than US$120,000 in local community support from the company following tropical storm Isaias recovery efforts.
"Our storm restoration efforts require a massive operation behind the scenes to support workers who come to New Jersey to help restore service to our customers," said Jim Fakult, president, JCP&L. "We are pleased to be able to use the surplus resources from our staging sites and the donation from the FirstEnergy Foundation to help local families put food on their tables during these difficult times."
The following organizations received food items donated by the JCP&L:
- Lunch Break Food Pantry Soup Kitchen (Monmouth County)
- Triumphant Life Church (Monmouth County)
- Good Hope Baptist Church (Monmouth County)
- HIS Praise Ministries (Ocean County)
- Fulfill Food Bank (Monmouth and Ocean Counties)
- Community Food Bank of New Jersey (Union County)
- Interfaith Food Pantry (Morris County)
- NORWESCAP Food Bank (Warren, Hunterdon, and Sussex Counties)
- Children's Home of Easton (North Hampton County, Pennsylvania)
- Second Harvest Food Bank (North Hampton County, Pennsylvania)
The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. and provides support to nonprofit, 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.
