Expanded initiative provides $140,000 to seven Ohio organizations and $500,000 across five states
AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation is investing $140,000 in seven Ohio organizations that provide emergency shelter, housing assistance and supportive services for individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic violence and other housing-related challenges. The grants are part of the Foundation's expanded Shelter, Safety and Stability initiative, which increased from $100,000 to $500,000 in 2026 and now supports 38 organizations across five states.
Safe, stable housing remains out of reach for too many Ohioans. According to the FY 2026 Ohio Housing Needs Assessment, nearly 11,800 people were living in temporary housing, homeless shelters or on the streets across the state in January 2024, the highest level of homelessness reported in a decade. Ohio also faced a shortage of more than 2,600 shelter beds for adults experiencing homelessness, and nearly 32,000 students lacked a fixed, regular and adequate place to sleep during the 2023-24 school year. These realities highlight the critical role of organizations that provide emergency shelter, housing assistance and supportive services.
Amanda Mertens Campbell, Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, and President, FirstEnergy Foundation: "The organizations receiving these grants provide more than shelter. They offer safety, support and hope during some of life's most challenging moments. This funding will help more individuals and families access not only emergency housing, but also the compassion, counseling and support services that can help prevent future housing instability and create a foundation for long-term success."
Grants That Help Build Safer, More Stable Lives
FirstEnergy Foundation awarded grants to organizations that provide emergency shelter and transitional housing along with critical services to help individuals and families build safer, more stable lives. The following Ohio organizations have been awarded grants this year:
General Shelters
- Family Promise of Greater Cleveland: Funds will support temporary housing and supportive services for families experiencing homelessness, helping them achieve stability through case management, employment support, financial literacy and connections to permanent housing.
- Harmony House (Summit County): Funds will support emergency shelter and supportive services for young adults experiencing homelessness, helping youth ages 18 to 24 achieve stability and self-sufficiency through housing, employment assistance, educational support and connections to community resources.
- Providence House (Cuyahoga County): Funds will support emergency shelter and supportive services for children and families experiencing crisis, helping keep kids safe and families together through crisis nursery care, family preservation programs and services that help strengthen family stability and prevent foster care placements.
- Summit County Continuum of Care (Summit County): Funds will support emergency shelter, housing and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, helping them connect to community resources and creating pathways to stable housing and long-term self-sufficiency.
Domestic Violence Shelters
- ACCESS, Inc. (Summit County): Funds will support emergency shelter and supportive services for women and children experiencing homelessness, helping families secure permanent housing and greater self-sufficiency.
- Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center (Summit and Medina Counties): Funds will support emergency shelter and supportive services for survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence and human trafficking.
- Leading Families Home (Toledo): Funds will support emergency shelter and supportive services for families and single women experiencing homelessness, helping them achieve independence and economic stability through housing, behavioral health, education and employment resources.
Providing Housing and Hope Year After Year
Since 2020, the FirstEnergy Foundation has donated over $1.6 million to help people in need of shelter or a place to call home. Nearly $700,000 of that was directed specifically to organizations that support domestic violence survivors and their families.
The FirstEnergy Foundation has donated more than $850,000 to housing-related initiatives to date in 2026 — including the $500,000 awarded through the Foundation's Shelter, Safety and Stability initiative. In addition, as part of the Foundation's $5 million Hunger Action Month initiative, $135,000 was awarded to organizations that provide housing and shelter services.
Hands-On Help for Communities in Need
In addition to grant funding, FirstEnergy encourages employees to provide hands-on assistance to local nonprofits. The company empowers employees to give back by providing dedicated volunteer time-off (VTO) hours, which many use to help address housing insecurity. Related efforts include:
- Donation drives and local walks to raise awareness and funding for local shelters and crisis services.
- Helping at Habitat for Humanity construction sites.
- Planting and caring for community and pollinator gardens at rapid re-housing and emergency shelters in conjunction with FirstEnergy employee-volunteer Green Teams.
In 2025, employees contributed approximately 28,500 volunteer hours across FirstEnergy's service territory, including thousands of hours supporting housing-related and hunger-relief organizations. Based on the 2025 national value of a volunteer hour of $36.14, those efforts represent more than $1 million in additional community support.
About FirstEnergy Foundation
The FirstEnergy Foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations across FirstEnergy's operational area, helping them build capacity, strengthen outcomes and deliver lasting impact. Giving priorities include housing stability, hunger relief, workforce development and STEM initiatives that reflect community needs and the company's strategic focus. Including the Shelter, Safety and Stability initiative, the Foundation has distributed more than $6.5 million in community support across FirstEnergy's service area to date in 2026.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than 6 million 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 firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
