The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded $55,000 in rapid response grants to 21 nonprofit organizations and community agencies across Indiana. The funding is intended to help local communities address the impact of Winter Storm Fern, which has brought severe winter weather to parts of Duke Energy’s service area.
According to Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana, “While our teams are working on the ground, we also want to make sure that our emergency services partners and community support systems are being taken care of.” He added, “We are pleased to be able to support organizations across the state that do great work in Indiana communities every day, especially during this storm.”
The shareholder-funded grants will be distributed among various nonprofits and assistance groups. The money will help provide heated shelters, emergency supplies, blankets, and other necessities for those affected by cold weather conditions.
Organizations receiving funding include county emergency management agencies in Bartholomew, Crawford, Decatur, Fayette, Shelby; YMCA of Brown County; Southern Indiana Homeless Coalition (Clark and Floyd counties); Fulton Hope Inc.; Salvation Army – Princeton (Gibson County); Good Samaritan Network (Hamilton County); Henry County Community Foundation; United Way of Huntington County; First City Sunrise (Knox County); Lawrence County Economic Growth Council; South Central Community Action Program (Monroe County); Beyond Homeless (Putnam County); Sunshine House (Shelby County); Lafayette Urban Ministry (Tippecanoe County), which received $5,000; Vermillion County government; City of Terre Haute (Vigo County); and City of Wabash.
Residents can find open shelters and disaster relief services through the American Red Cross Emergency App. Sponsored by the Duke Energy Foundation, the app provides emergency checklists, maps showing open shelters, and tools for monitoring multiple locations for weather alerts.
The Duke Energy Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support focused on meeting community needs where its customers live and work. The foundation is funded by shareholders.
Duke Energy Indiana is a subsidiary of Duke Energy. It supplies about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 920,000 customers over a 23,000-square-mile service area. This makes it the largest electricity provider in Indiana.
