Dominion Energy will give more than a half million dollars to 11 nonprofit organizations providing essential support services to active duty, veterans and military families in seven states served by the company. Each organization will receive $50,000 for initiatives that help meet the needs of veterans and their families. The grants are being made through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm.
"Many of our brave servicemen and women return to civilian life only to struggle with employment, financial hardships, housing or health issues," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. "These grants will help to strengthen programs that provide an important safety net for veterans and their families seeking employment, shelter, medical care and more."
The selected programs offer a variety of community-based services – from specialized workforce and financial training, to adaptive sports, family retreats, housing and transportation. The recipients are:
- College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Williamsburg, Va., for assistance to veterans needing legal advice and counseling to access Department of Defense benefits.
- Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, for its military community outreach series, including job fairs and workshops on accessing benefits.
- Easterseals Capital Region and Eastern Connecticut, Inc., Windsor, Conn., for financial management training and its emergency financial safety net for veterans and their families.
- Liberation Veteran Services, Richmond, Va., for support of chronically homeless veterans, including housing, financial training and workforce readiness.
- LZ-Grace Warrior Retreat Foundation, Virginia Beach, Va., for an accessible fitness trail and retreat space for special operations forces.
- National Ability Center, Park City, Utah, for adaptive sports and recreational programs for transitioning service members and their families.
- Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, Alexandria, Va., for safe and affordable housing for veterans and families facing homelessness.
- Operation Welcome Home, Inc., Morgantown, W.Va., for its year-long series of training programs and job fairs.
- Tech for Troops Project, Richmond, Va., for statewide computer training workshops for military personnel transitioning from active duty.
- United Service Organizations, West Columbia, S.C., for holiday activities at Fort Jackson and pre-deployment family lunches.
- The Utica Center for Development, Inc., Utica, N.Y., for food pantry and transportation for veterans.
For this competitive grant program, proposals were received from 60 nonprofit organizations. Dominion Energy employees who also are veterans participated in the final selection.
Dominion Energy is active in the recruitment and support of veterans in its workforce, as well as in the community. The company is a founding partner in the national Troops to Energy Jobs program, which helps military members find rewarding careers in the energy industry. Currently, one in five new hires at Dominion is a veteran, and about 11 percent of the company's more than 16,000 employees are veterans.
