August 5, 2021

​From sprucing up local facilities and historical sites to assisting with a Habitat for Humanity home build to stocking food pantries, our employees are on the move in an effort to improve the communities we serve.

Members of several Distribution Support groups volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity build in Akron. The team spent the day hanging vinyl siding, working alongside other volunteers and the future homeowner.

L.-r.: Tim Markulin and Ron Thompson, senior, outage management specialists; Kevin Hawrylak, manager, ADMS/GIS DMS; Anthony Pacholewski, senior technical specialist; and Mike Calkins, supervisor, DMS SCADA. Not pictured are: Chris Rettger, manager, Distribution SCADA; and John Daugherty, manager, DCC Support.

The siding is in place!​

The Community Involvement Team for our MOSaic Employee Business Resource Group purchased needed items for two women’s shelters: Dove Center in Oakland, Md., and Bethany House in Martinsburg, W.Va. The group donated pajamas, personal items, toys, laundry detergent, baby care items, kitchenware, blankets, towels and more.

Shown with some of the items are, l.-r.: Katie Barnes and Debbie Hiser, senior administrative assistants; Jeremy Mason, System Transmission Crew lineworker C; and Lana Houser, supervisor, Distribution Technician.

Several employees volunteered at the Monroe Street Neighborhood Center in Toledo by unloading trucks and stocking the center’s pantry. They were able to complete the work in record time!

At the center are, l.-r.: Taneaka Haley, manager, Meter Reading; Michael Izsak, meter reader; Jared Stone, junior representative, Estimating & Design; Charles Beason, meter reader; Jami Hafner, supervisor, Regional Operations; Donald Gaines, manager, Substation Services; and Rich Sweeney, regional president, Toledo Edison (who recently became vice president, Supply Chain). Standing next to Rich is Clara Petty, executive director, Monroe Street Neighborhood Center.

Greensburg volunteers participated in a “Spring Clean Up Day” at the YWCA of Westmoreland County. The group took part in landscaping work around the building.

Steve Peters, manager, Engineering Services, was honored by The State Journal and West Virginia News in Clarksburg, W.Va. Steve was among 40 individuals under the age of 40 across the state, recognized for their efforts on the job and in the community.

At the presentation, l.-r.: Jim Myers, president, West Virginia Operations; Mike Haines, director, Operations Services; Steve; Tim Pingley, consultant, Regional External Affairs; and Greg Hefner, manager, Regional External Affairs.

​About 50 FirstEnergy employees volunteered to help the Summit County Historical Society beautify the grounds of the historical Perkins Stone Mansion and the John Brown House where the organization hosted free Juneteenth events. Check out this video ​for highlights.