$1.1M Feeds 3.3M Meals in West Virginia and Maryland

The FirstEnergy Foundation just awarded $1.1 million to 43 food banks and pantries across West Virginia and Maryland, funding enough food to provide 3.3 million meals to families facing hunger. It's the foundation's largest hunger relief investment ever, tackling food insecurity head-on during a time when more than 1.2 million people in these states struggle to put food on the table.

The grants arrived during National Hunger Action Month in September, part of a $5 million initiative supporting 140 hunger relief organizations across six states. The money goes directly to communities served by Mon Power and Potomac Edison, helping local shelves stay stocked as families navigate rising food costs.

The need is real and growing. More than 354,000 children in West Virginia and Maryland face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. Food banks and pantries have become essential lifelines for families, seniors, and kids who wonder where their next meal will come from.

"No one should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from," said Chris Beam, FirstEnergy's President of West Virginia and Maryland. "Food banks and pantries are working every day to meet growing needs, but they can't do it alone."

The foundation expanded its support this year, adding three new organizations to the 43 total recipients. Major food banks received increased investments, while smaller community pantries from Garrett County to Pocahontas County got critical funding boosts.

The Ripple Effect

Beyond writing checks, FirstEnergy employees are rolling up their sleeves. Through the company's Volunteer Time Off program, workers regularly sort food, pack boxes, and help organizations stretch every dollar further.

In 2025, employees logged 28,500 volunteer hours across FirstEnergy's service territory. Thousands of those hours went directly to hunger relief organizations, representing more than $1 million in additional community support when valued at the national volunteer rate.

This hands-on help reduces operating costs for food banks, meaning more money goes straight to feeding families. When volunteers do the sorting and packing, organizations can serve more people without hiring extra staff.

The combination of funding and volunteer power creates lasting change in communities where hunger has been a quiet crisis for too long.

Families across West Virginia and Maryland will sit down to 3.3 million meals they might not have had otherwise, proof that when foundations invest big and communities show up, nobody has to go hungry alone.