- Funds will support more than 50 feeding programs as holidays
approach and communities recover from Helene
- Efforts begin with Yam Jam, a volunteer event in Greenville that packages 50,000 pounds of
sweet potatoes for the hungry this Thanksgiving
GREENVILLE, S.C., Nov. 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Every community in South
Carolina is home to families who face hunger. The statistics
are startling – nearly 700,000 of our friends and neighbors lack
consistent access to high-quality meals. That's 1 in 8 people
facing hunger in our state every day, and 1 in 6 of those are
children.
As the holidays and colder weather approach, those families and
more are also still reeling from a major natural disaster as
communities work to restore, rebuild and renew after the historic
impacts from Helene.
"Those statistics are the unfortunate baseline for many families
in South Carolina," said
Tim Pearson, Duke Energy's
South Carolina state president. "That's
why it's important for Duke Energy to support the organizations who
do the great work to fight hunger across our state."
This week, Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation kick off a
monthlong campaign to support organizations in South Carolina that address food insecurities
and inequities across the state. The monthlong initiative will
provide over $500,000 to more than 50
feeding programs through Giving Tuesday and will support
organizations including Mill Village Farms, Second Harvest Food
Bank of Metrolina, FoodShare South Carolina, Harvest Hope Food
Bank and AIM, among many others.
"Our hope is by shining a light on these organizations they will
continue to receive the support they need to help reduce and
hopefully one day eliminate hunger in our communities," Pearson
said. "They are fighting the good fight every day in our
communities, but they cannot do it alone."
To celebrate the start of the monthlong campaign, Duke Energy
joined Mill Village Farms, WYFF and Bon Secours Wellness Arena for
this year's Yam Jam on Nov. 7 in
Greenville. The community event
brought together 170 volunteers from companies and organizations
around Greenville. Participants
bagged nearly 50,000 pounds of sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving food
boxes to be distributed by FoodShare South Carolina hubs and other
food programs across South
Carolina. Additionally, the Duke Energy Foundation is
contributing $100,000 to FoodShare
South Carolina organizations across the company's service
territory, including $30,000 to Mill
Village Farms.
"As we enter the holiday season and navigate the ongoing effects
of Hurricane Helene, Mill Village Ministries is doubling down on
our commitment to food access for every resident in our community,"
said Dan Weidenbenner, executive
director of Mill Village Farms and Mill Village Ministries. "Mill
Village Farms' FoodShare program is central to this mission,
bringing fresh produce to communities – no matter their location or
income level. In these challenging times, we're grateful for the
dedicated support from Duke Energy, allowing us to reach even more
neighbors with the healthy food they deserve."
In addition to presenting Yam Jam, Duke Energy employees will
also provide their time and talents volunteering with organizations
throughout the month to assist in packing and distributing food
boxes, preparing backpacks for weekend food programs for students
and providing sweat equity to senior mobile food programs and other
feeding initiatives in their neighborhoods.
"We also know customers struggling to put food on the table are
making decisions about what bills to pay at home, including their
electricity bill," Pearson said. "That's why it's important for us
to also share information that can assist families to manage their
energy bills when times are tough." To learn more about these
programs, visit duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to
meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and
work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150
company headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies.
The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and
the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook,
and visit illumination for stories about the people and
innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Ryan Mosier
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy