Empowering accessibility and belonging at Camp Victory

Empowering accessibility and belonging at Camp Victory

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting the important work of nonprofit organizations that improve lives. Through the foundation, $1 million in grants was awarded to hundreds of organizations throughout our 29-county territory in 2025. 

Camp Victory is an organization that received an Empowering Communities grant in 2025. It’s more than just a summer camp. Camp Victory is a place where kids can feel like they truly belong. The camp works with partner programs to create a safe, fun experience for children with special needs, giving them opportunities they might not find anywhere else.  

For many campers, Camp Victory is life-changing.  

“A lot of our campers… might be the only one in their school or family who has that disability,” said Kate Stepnick, Executive Director of Camp Victory. “But when they get to Camp Victory, everybody has the same disability or diagnosis.”  

That sense of belonging helps kids build confidence, friendships and lasting memories. In addition to running the camp, Stepnick is also a former camper. 

“I started coming in 1996 to Camp JRA, which is a camp for kids with arthritis,” Stepnick said. “For me, it was the one week of the year that I really felt a part of something and belonged.” 

We are proud to support Camp Victory and the unique programs it offers. Through the PPL Foundation, the company provides funding that helps the camp grow and reach more children. These programs include specialized camps for different medical needs, outdoor activities like biking and paddle boating, and even environmental education. 

PPL’s support also helps ensure the camp can meet the complex medical needs of its campers. From trained staff to accessible equipment, everything is designed so kids can safely enjoy the outdoors.  

“Camp Victory is a really special place,” said Jonah Howe, Regional Affairs Director for PPL Electric Utilities. “The opportunities they provide here are special in the ways they really accommodate different medical needs that other organizations just can’t do.”  

The partnership between PPL and Camp Victory is built on shared values like community, education, and care for others. By working together, they are helping children experience something every kid deserves — a chance to have fun, feel included and just be themselves. 

“What I love most is seeing the kids smile,” Howe said. “I understand that they’re managing different chronic illnesses that don’t give them the opportunity to do that, and here at the camp…they can experience nature and just enjoy their time here.” 

5 for ‘25: How we helped in our communities in 2025

5 for ‘25: How we helped in our communities in 2025

For more than a century, our dedicated team has stood by a simple belief: supporting our communities is both our responsibility and our privilege. We take pride in rolling up our sleeves and working together to empower our neighbors and create a brighter tomorrow. 

As we approach the end of 2025, here are 5 of our favorite events from this past year: 

 

With the holiday season in full swing, our work is not done; our employees will be busy in our communities and delivering safe, reliable power to light up the moments that matter most to your families.  

For more about our community involvement, visit pplelectric.com/community 

 

5 ways we made our communities bright in 2024

5 ways we made our communities bright in 2024

Powering our communities goes beyond delivering the safe and reliable electricity you depend on every day. We don’t just work in our communities; we also live and raise our families in cities and towns across our territory.

Here are just a handful of events that helped our communities throughout the year:

PPL employee volunteer reading to studentsWe started 2024 in the Lehigh Valley by reading to children at Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School for Read Across America and Black History Month events, fostering the importance of education for our local children.

 

 

Employee volunteers planting trees

During Earth Month, our employees planted trees in Harrisburg, Bethlehem and across Lycoming County to help preserve the environment.

 

 

In June, more than 60 of our interns participated in our annual Intern Impact Day by cleaning classrooms and assembling bikes for young riders in Allentown.

 

 

EV school bus

To help charge an exciting future for students, we helped the Steelton-Highspire and Bethlehem Area school districts roll out their first EV buses.

 

 

Employee volunteers with shovels

But our favorite event of the year was our Annual Day of Caring in September. More than 460 of our employees assisted 20 nonprofit organizations and sites by cleaning, painting, packing food and planting trees.

 

We know how important it is to give back. And while we’re happy to have made a positive impact in 2024, we’re looking forward to doing even more in 2025.

For more about our community involvement, see how we’re working behind the scenes to power the moments that matter this holiday season: pplelectric.com/HappyHolidays.

Thanks to you, Pennsylvania now has 5,000 new trees!

Thanks to you, Pennsylvania now has 5,000 new trees!

A thank you from PPL Electric Utilities to customers that signed up for paperless billing during the month of April.Thanks to our environmentally conscious customers, Pennsylvania is now 5,000 trees richer!

Back in April, we ran a campaign to encourage customers to sign up for paperless billing in celebration of Earth Month. The premise was simple, for every customer that enrolled in paperless billing during the month, we’d commit to plant a tree within one of the many communities we serve thanks to our Community Roots Program. And we’re happy to report that we’ll be planting 5,000 new trees across our service territory.

Mature trees can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. Which means these trees — thanks to our customers — will grow up and absorb more than 240,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of removing approximately 26 gasoline-powered vehicles from roads annually. With just one small change, you’ve helped the environment in a big way. Thank you to everyone who went paperless in April!

Our Community Roots Program, which began in 2017, provides native trees and pollinator-friendly plants and seeds that enhance the environment and help beautify the region. Since the program began, we’ve distributed more than 132,000 trees, shrubs and native pollinator-friendly plants across eastern and central Pennsylvania.

Learn more about our Community Roots Program, and all our environmental efforts, at pplelectric.com/environmental. And, if you haven’t enrolled in paperless billing yet, sign up today at pplelectric.com/paperless.

 

Empowering Employment Through the Wayne County Community Foundation

Empowering Employment Through the Wayne County Community Foundation

Being part of the communities we serve goes beyond delivering safe, reliable electricity. Through PPL Foundation Empowering Communities Grants, we support local programs focused on environmental stewardship and education, economic development and/or workforce development. 

The Wayne County Community Foundation, located in Honesdale, is a recent PPL Foundation grant recipient. The Community Foundation is allocating these dollars toward supporting its Worker Crisis Relief fund. For 30 years, the organization has used resources from the community to help those in need. The Worker Crisis Relief fund is one of almost 150 different funds established to address areas of need. 

“Our goal is to improve the quality of life for everyone here in Wayne County,” said Ryanne Jennings, president and CEO of the Wayne County Community Foundation. “That involves addressing poverty at a systemic level. 

Located in rural northeast Pennsylvania, Wayne County presents challenges for employees with transportation issues. The Worker Crisis Relief fund has mostly helped cover expenses for repairs and down payments on used vehicles. The Community Foundation works with the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance to find the best solution for funding. 

A car is an essential item in this area,” Jennings said. “It’s not only essential for working, it also keeps families in their homes and provides food security.” 

“This fund has been a valuable resource for several community members who have faced a crisis and needed immediate assistance,” said Katheryne Hait, executive director of the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance. “By partnering with the Community Foundation, we have been able to help these individuals bounce back quickly and regain stability in their lives.” 

The fund has helped 10 people address transportation issues since it began over a year ago. Jennings says she hopes the foundation can expand in the coming years to continue to meet the evolving variety of needs of the community. 

The word ‘empowering’ is a strong one; that’s what this Worker Crisis Relief fund does,” Jennings said. “We want to say that, as a community, and PPL is included in that community, we are here to support people when they need it the most. The empowerment is a big reason why we sought this funding.”