Duke Energy donates $100,000 for hurricane recovery efforts

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm – then Hurricane – Helene.

In honor of the occasion, Duke Energy Florida hosted an event at its distribution control center in St. Petersburg to award five Pinellas organizations with $20,000 each. These nonprofits have helped local individuals and families recover from the 2024 hurricane season. 

“We thought it was a perfect opportunity to ensure that the rest of the public knows that we still have a lot of our neighbors who are suffering trying to get back into their homes and their businesses,” Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas told the Catalyst.  

“It still requires a lot of collaboration across public and private entities.” 

The organizations that were selected include Mt. Zion Human Services, Inc., First Contact (formerly known as 211 Tampa Bay Cares), Dunedin Cares Food Pantry, Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center and United Way Suncoast. 

Choosing the organizations was not a difficult decision, Seixas added. The process was “based on relationships and knowing the work that they are doing and how that is helping people in the community.” 

Duke clients also played a role in selecting the nonprofits.

“Especially in the last year, we have heard directly from our customers on what they are still dealing with,” Seixas said. “So that also helped us fine-tune what organizations to support.” 

Mt. Zion Human Services, based in St. Petersburg, offers a variety of enrichment programs including food distribution, college and workforce preparation services and a health and wellness clinic. 

First Contact, located in Clearwater, offers programs that help with disaster relief, sexual assault, suicide prevention, veteran services and homelessness, among other causes. 

Dunedin Cares Food Pantry is based on a client-choice model, allowing guests to choose the food they want, rather than handing out pre-selected bags. 

Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center, located in Safety Harbor, offers a food pantry and provides family services, youth education opportunities and a clothing closet.  

Tampa’s United Way Suncoast serves five counties including Pinellas. The organization offers disaster resilience programs, educational opportunities, neighborhood and workforce preparation services and financial security programs. 

Members of the Pinellas County legislative delegation joined Duke Energy Florida leadership and staff at Wednesday’s event. Multiple state senators and representatives spoke and commended the company’s focus on impacting the community through its work and partnering with local organizations. 

Florida House of Representatives member Michele Rayner stressed the importance of the selected nonprofits. “These partners have worked so tirelessly,” she said during the Wednesday event, “and are still working in the community to help people recover.”