Duke Energy Florida announces $100,000 in grants for Pinellas County organizations supporting hurricane recovery

• Each organization will receive $20,000 in recognition of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene

Editor's Note: Photos and b-roll from today's announcement at Duke Energy Florida's Distribution Control Center in St. Petersburg are available for download here .

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In recognition of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, Duke Energy Florida, joined by several members of the Pinellas County legislative delegation, today announced $100,000 in grants to organizations serving the local community and helping residents as they continue to recover from the 2024 hurricane season.

"Our commitment to our customers goes well beyond keeping the lights on," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "With these grants, we want to ensure all who were impacted by Helene, as well as Milton, have the resources and support they need to continue on the long road to recovery. I'm extremely grateful for our ongoing collaboration with elected officials and community leaders who share in this mission."

"Hurricane Helene touched every family in Pinellas County in some way, and I have seen firsthand the strength and determination of our community as we rebuild," said Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg). "These grants from Duke Energy will help our neighbors take another step forward. I'm grateful for this partnership and for the local organizations who show up every day to help families recover and thrive."

"Duke Energy has been an integral part of Pinellas County's recovery and rebuilding efforts following the 2024 hurricane season," said Florida State Representative Kim Berfield (R-Clearwater). "Our community is resilient, and I look forward to seeing how these grants - and the local organizations working tirelessly to administer them - will help residents get back on their feet and come out stronger than ever before. Pinellas strong."

The five grantees each received $20,000 to support their important work:

• Dunedin Cares Food Pantry
  
• First Contact
  
• Mt. Zion Human Services
  
• Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center
  
• United Way Suncoast

"We are deeply grateful to Duke Energy for this generous support as our community continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton," said Micki Thompson, First Contact president and CEO. "These funds will allow First Contact to connect more families with the critical resources and services they need to continue rebuilding their lives. Together, we are helping our neighbors move forward with hope and resilience."

"Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center thanks Duke Energy for its leading support and ongoing commitment to the children and families we serve in North Pinellas County," said David E. Hale, Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center executive director. "Thanks to Duke, we were able to rapidly respond to unprecedented impacts upon our most at-risk neighbors in the last storm season. With hundreds of families still displaced, Duke's continued support for the Mattie Williams Center allows us to rehome and stabilize families now, while also preparing them for future challenges."

"We are deeply grateful for this generous gift, which will help us continue supporting families and communities still recovering from last fall's hurricanes," said Jessica Muroff, United Way Suncoast CEO. "These funds will be used to provide direct assistance, strengthen our nonprofit partners on the frontlines and ensure that our region is better prepared and more resilient when future storms arise."

For more tips on how to prepare for storm season, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips and download the Red Cross Emergency mobile app.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

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 energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Aly Raschid
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