April 30, 2021

Over the past year, we’ve found creative ways to continue our various projects and initiatives in light of the pandemic. This is especially so for company-sponsored fundraisers such as our Harvest for Hunger campaign. The good news is – we’ve been able to keep it going well.

FirstEnergy employees fully supported our 2021 Harvest for Hunger campaign – which surpassed our fundraising goal by nearly 17%. In addition to generous monetary donations from our employees, we also had great virtual and safe in-person events benefiting this year’s campaign. Here are a few examples.

Employees at the Akron Contact Center purchased votes to see FirstEnergy Contact Center leaders get their heads shaved. The event raised $2,197 – more than its goal – resulting in buzzed heads for all five.

Josh Gorham, supervisor, Customer Contact Center, is first to lose his locks – since he received the most votes. Ashton Schultz from Supercuts in Fairlawn generously donated her services for this worthy cause.​

​​ Sporting their new looks provided by Ashton (c.), are l.-r.: Josh; Richard Schroth, general manager, Customer Contact Center; Jay James, acting coordinator, Customer Care; and Jared Chapman and Vincent DeMercado, coordinators, Customer Care.

​A team of JCP&L employees volunteered at the Fulfill foodbank in Neptune, N.J. They prepared 300 boxes of nonperishable food items for families in need.

During their fulfilling experience, employees, l.-r.: Jason Wallace, manager, Meter Services and MOSaic-N.J. co-chair; Lesa McGuinness, Customer Account specialist V and Veterans & Allies-N.J. member; Jim Fakult, president, JCP&L; Jackie DeFelice, Customer Account specialist V and Women in Leadership-N.J. member; and John Anderson, vice president, JCP&L External Affairs, take time for a photo.

Marc Turpin, supervisor, Utility Construction & Maintenance, and MOSaic N.J. co-chair, won an Apple iPad (donated by the JCP&L executive leadership team) in a Harvest for Sure Tip auction. Participants had to correctly answer: “How many operating companies are in FirstEnergy?” to purchase a $10 numbered tab. After all tabs (1,000) were sold, Marc had the winning number on the auction board.

Marc proudly displays his new iPad.

Employees at West Penn Power’s State College Service Center raised $1,130 during the campaign and doubled their giving through the FirstEnergy Foundation Matching Gifts program. The three local food pantries receiving donations are: State College Food Bank, FaithCentre Food Bank and St. Paul Lutheran Church Food Pantry. Each organization expressed its gratitude to the generous employees and are thankful to FirstEnergy for supporting this annual employee-giving campaign.

Delivering the donation to the State College Food Bank is Joleen Hindman, consultant, Regional External Affairs (l.) with Allayn Beck, executive director.

Reading Contact Center employees generously contributed to their Pop-the-Trunk drive-thru food donation event.

Check out this video to see highlights from the Pop-the-Trunk Akron event.

Shari Koonce, supervisor, Customer Contact Center, Reading, prepares to unload groceries.

Andrea Bortoluzzi, consultant, Community Involvement (r.), presented a $23,000 FirstEnergy Foundation check to Jennifer Miller, CEO, Westmoreland County Food Bank. The funds were raised during West Penn Power’s Harvest for Hunger Campaign.

Employees at Ohio Edison’s Elyria Service Center raised $1,160 for Harvest for Hunger. The funds were donated to the Lorain Second Harvest Foodbank.

At the check presentation, l.-r.: Nick Katsaros, consultant, Regional External Affairs; Julie Chase-Morefield, president and CEO, Second Harvest Foodbank; and Jim Tanner, troubleman, Ohio Edison. Not pictured: Zak Bret, manager, Operations Services.

Fort Martin Power Station employees held a Harvest for Hunger March Madness event. MikeShreves, engineer IV, won a Menards gift card and shirt, along with a basketball-themed gift basket, and the coveted Fort Martin March Madness trophy!

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Our overall Harvest for Hunger campaign raised $333,088 and collected 8,429 pounds of food resulting in 2,338,639 meals.