Surprise FirstEnergy Foundation "Gifts of the Season" Make Spirits Bright for Two New Jersey Nonprofits

Awards of $10,000 each will help provide food and essential services

HOLMDEL, N.J., Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, the FirstEnergy Foundation is sharing the spirit of giving by awarding $20,000 in "Gifts of the Season" grants to two nonprofit organizations making a positive impact in New Jersey communities served by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric company Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L). Altogether, the Gifts of the Season program will provide a total of $100,000 to eight nonprofits across five states in FirstEnergy's service area in 2025.

As part of a commitment to help address food and housing insecurity, the Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Our Lady of Victories Church St. Vincent De Paul Society Food Pantry in Sayreville (Middlesex County). The grant will provide proteins and dairy products for the 200 people that the food pantry helps feed every month. Demand is even greater at the holidays – the St. Vincent De Paul Society pantry helps feed more than 300 people at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To support safety-focused STEM education, the Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to The Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston (Essex County).  The funding will help expand burn prevention education and fire safety programming in central and northern New Jersey. This year, more than 13,000 people have completed The Burn Center's prevention and education programs – including many of JCP&L's linemen.

Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President, New Jersey: "Supporting organizations that strengthen our communities is a year-round commitment, but even more important during the holiday season when the needs of individuals and families can be especially great. These grants help local nonprofits respond to urgent needs and build safer, healthier communities by giving families access to essential services and important safety education."

Marking 10 Years of Impact and Inclusion
Since 2016, the FirstEnergy Foundation's "Gifts of the Season" program has supported local nonprofits and community initiatives that bring people together and make our neighborhoods stronger. Now celebrating its 10th year, the program continues to grow and adapt to meet community needs, reflecting FirstEnergy's commitment to inclusion and care. The Foundation has been able to provide $1.2 million in grants since the "Gifts of the Season" program began.

How to Apply for a FirstEnergy Foundation Grant in New Jersey
The FirstEnergy Foundation provides support to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits that serve and meet the critical needs of our customers in communities served by JCP&L and FirstEnergy's electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business. To date in 2025, the Foundation has distributed more than $5.5 million in community support across FirstEnergy's operational area.

The FirstEnergy Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications.  For more information about grant opportunities, visit the FirstEnergy Foundation webpage, or contact Alix Hayes, Community Involvement Consultant, at ahayes@firstenergycorp.com.

JCP&L serves 1.2 million customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Follow JCP&L on X @JCP_L, on Facebook at facebook.com/JCPandL or online at jcp-l.com.

FirstEnergy 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 six 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 on X @FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.