Dominion Power fuels food banks

James Beazley, left, with the Dominion Foundation talks with Edd Roberts of the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank

By: Debra Mccown | TriCities.com
Published: December 23, 2008

ABINGDON, Va. – The energy company building a $1.8 billion power plant outside St. Paul also is putting $1 million into food banks, mostly in Virginia, Dominion officials announced Monday.
“It’s a holiday hardship, it’s a Christmas hardship, it’s an economic hardship,” said James Beazley, spokesman for the Dominion Foundation, of the current stress on agencies that distribute food to the hungry. “It’s a perfect storm right now for the food banks.”
Beazley presented a check for $50,000 Monday morning to Edd Roberts, resource development officer for the Appalachian branch of the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank in downtown Abingdon.
According to a news release from Dominion, the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, is giving $555,000 to food banks in Virginia and North Carolina and a total of $550,000 to food banks in 12 other states.
“For every dollar that’s donated, we can turn that into $6 worth of food,” Roberts said. “This money will go a long way to help people struggling with one of the most basic of all human needs, and that’s food.”
The total donation will provide 21.4 million pounds of food throughout the company’s service area.
Two members of Virginia’s legislative delegation were on hand Monday to give remarks about the corporate gift from the parent company of Dominion Virginia Power, which is building the power plant.
“We’re very thankful to have your company down here in Southwest Virginia,” said Delegate Dan Bowling, D-Richlands.
State Sen. William Wampler, R-Bristol, said Dominion is a “very good corporate partner. We look forward to you continuing with your benevolence.”
But, Wampler said, the story that should be told is of “a caring commonwealth” – which he is hopeful will infuse an additional $1 million into Virginia’s food banks from a struggling state budget.
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701

Dominion Power fuels food banks

Share This:

More from this channel:

Reader Comments

Deal of the Day

Most Popular

Things to Do