AKRON, Ohio, July 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy
Corp. (NYSE: FE) is donating tens of thousands of face masks,
gloves, cleaning supplies, and other forms of personal protective
equipment (PPE) to the United Way to benefit the health and safety
of communities served by the company. Valued at $2.2 million, they will be distributed to 15
United Way chapters across FirstEnergy's service area.
"Safety is our number one priority. With plenty of unknowns
early in the COVID-19 pandemic, including how long it would last,
we sourced PPE supplies to ensure our essential workforce would be
protected while continuing to deliver the safe, reliable power on
which our customers depend," said Steven E.
Strah, president and chief executive officer of FirstEnergy.
"The efficiency of our remote working team allowed us to focus our
PPE needs on in-office staff as well as those who work among the
public. As vaccination rates increase and case counts drop, we are
fortunate to be able to share these supplies with organizations
that need them."
The items being donated include:
- 7,300 face masks
- 18,800 N-95 respirators
- 3,000 nitrile powder-free gloves
- 6,000 hand-pump hand sanitizer dispensers
- 2,400 half-gallon hand sanitizer refills
- 280 one-gallon hand sanitizer containers with pumps
- 172,000 packets of disinfectant wipes
- 31,300 canisters of disinfectant wipes
"We have been proud to support the United Way for decades now,
whether through our participation in 'Day of Caring' and
volunteerism or by providing them with vital supplies at a critical
time such as this," said Lorna
Wisham, vice president, Corporate Affairs & Community
Involvement at FirstEnergy. "FirstEnergy's commitment to the safety
of our communities doesn't end at the light switch, and we couldn't
ask for a better partner in distributing these supplies than United
Way."
The PPE supplies are being donated through more than 15 United
Way chapters, chosen based on need, employee contributions, and
location, in areas covered by all 10 of FirstEnergy's operating
companies, including:
- United Way of Greater Stark (Ohio)
- United Way of Greater Toledo
(Ohio)
- United Way of Summit & Medina Counties (Ohio)
- Tygart Valley United Way (West
Virginia)
- United Way of Monogalia & Preston Counties (West Virginia)
- United Way of Eastern Panhandle (West
Virginia)
- United Way of Allegany County
(Maryland)
- United Way of Washington
County (Maryland)
- United Way of Monmouth & Ocean Counties (New Jersey)
- United Way of Northern New
Jersey (New Jersey)
- United Way of Berks County
(Pennsylvania)
- United Way of Erie County
(Pennsylvania)
- Community Action Partnership (via United Way of Mercer County – Pennsylvania)
- United Way of Southwestern Pa.-Westmoreland County (Pennsylvania)
- United Way of Washington
County (Pennsylvania)
FirstEnergy routinely supports more than 100 United Way chapters
across the company's six-state service area. In 2020 alone, the
company and its employees donated more than $3 million to 116 local United Way agencies. More
information on FirstEnergy's commitment to community involvement,
including support of United Way, is available at
www.firstenergycorp.com/community.
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 www.firstenergycorp.com and on
Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy personnel
preparing and delivering donated supplies are available for
download on Flickr. A video of the supply deliveries can be found
on the company's YouTube channel.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.