Aug 3, 2026 | Community Involvement
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.”
May 8, 2025 | Bill Help, Customer Service
With many household costs on the rise, we want to do everything possible to help manage energy costs and keep monthly bills as predictable and reasonable as possible.
Because of this, the PPL Foundation has doubled our annual donation to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund from $200,000 to $400,000 in 2025.
What is the Good Neighbor Energy Fund?
The Good Neighbor Energy Fund, administered by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, is designed to address the growing energy cost burdens faced by our customers. The funds are distributed to households through community-based organizations across PPL Electric Utilities’ service territory. Households earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level may qualify for assistance up to $1,000.
“We recognize that rising costs of goods and services create challenges for many families and individuals, and we’re pleased to be able to provide this additional support to help them navigate financial hardships,” said Christine Martin, president of PPL Electric Utilities and an officer of the PPL Foundation. “By empowering nonprofits already on the ground with the resources they need, we’re able to get help to families faster. This program underscores the importance of partnership in addressing community challenges.”
How can I apply?
If you are interested in assistance, you can contact one of the 14 following energy fund recipients directly:
- 4 Girls on a Mission – Electric utility assistance: Visit website
- Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc. – CSO utility assistance: Visit website
- Family Promise of Berks County, Inc. – Rent and utility assistance: Visit website
- Family Promise of the Poconos, Inc. – Project Lights On: Visit website
- Lehigh Conference of Churches – Utility assistance at Lehigh Conference of Churches: Visit website
- New Bethany – New Bethany’s housing advocacy & assistance: Visit website
- Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley – Promise utility assistance program: Visit website
- Raising the House – Family assistance program: Visit website
- Salvation Army of East Stroudsburg – Salvation Army East Stroudsburg Corps utility assistance program serving Monroe County: Visit website
- The Open Link – Upper Perkiomen Valley utility assistance: Visit website
- Third Street Alliance for Women & Children – Third Street Alliance utility assistance program: Visit website
- Tri County Community Action – Powering stability: Expanding utility support for families in need: Visit website
- Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc. – Utility assistance for domestic abuse survivors: Visit website
- Valley Youth House – Utility assistance for formerly homeless youth and families in rapid re-housing programs: Visit website
We also offer a variety of other programs and tools to help reduce energy usage and manage bills. Visit pplelectric.com/SeasonalSavings to find out which program is right for you.
Apr 16, 2025 | Community Involvement
We believe that education is vital for vibrant communities. That’s why we donate our time, energy and our know-how to help students and teachers in our neighborhoods. Through PPL Foundation grants, we are helping prepare today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders.
Community Services for Children (CSC) is a recipient of an Education Improvement Tax Credit grant. The organization is using this grant to help support its two “Innovation Labs” at its downtown Allentown location.
The labs provide a number of hands-on STEM learning tools and programs to help build thinking and collaboration skills for preschool-aged children in Allentown.
“CSC is about connecting families to the resources that they need,” said Deidra Vachier, CEO and president of CSC. “Many of the children that we serve, because they are some of our most vulnerable children have never had a preschool experience.”
Due in part to the opportunities provided by the labs, CSC says that kids’ test scores at the downtown Allentown location have been higher than other locations in the region.
“It supports everything that the PPL Foundation supports,” said Jane George, manager of government affairs and special projects at PPL Electric Utilities. “[The students] were engaged, they wanted to learn, and this is becoming their foundation for future learning.”
View the video below to learn more about the PPL Foundation, CSC and how these Innovation Labs are helping these young students learn vital educational skills.
Apr 9, 2025 | Community Involvement
Through the PPL Foundation’s Empowering Communities grants, we support local programs focused on education, environmental stewardship, economic development and/or workforce development. We believe that serving our communities means much more than just delivering safe and reliable electricity.
UPMC in North Central Pa. and Susquehanna Health Foundation are recent recipients of an Empowering Communities grant. The health system’s foundation is using this grant to support its nursing co-op program. The co-op graduated 11 local high schoolers on April 4 after 15 weeks of hands-on, real-world experience inside of area UPMC locations. The students come from Loyalsock, Williamsport, South Williamsport and Hughesville high schools.
We believe in supporting education and setting up students for long-term success in their careers. That’s why we have provided grants to Susquehanna Health Foundation since 2023.
“These students are getting the full experience,” said Alison Gower, program director for the co-op at UPMC Williamsport. “They work alongside the nurses and nurse aids, and work with patients on a personal level to help give them the care that they need.”
The student nurses rotate through several departments during the program, including the medical-surgical unit, emergency department, The Birthplace, Intensive Care Unit, rehabilitation, pediatrics, Operating Room and a unit of the students’ choice that they are most interested in learning more about. 
“This is something that most students don’t get to do when they’re in high school. It’s been an incredible experience,” said Abigail Lorson, a senior at South Williamsport High School. “I’ve learned that this job is about devoting yourself to the patients and making them feel as comfortable as they can be. You can’t learn this level of care in a book.”
“It’s really nice to have a program like this because it has given me a chance to try out a role before committing my career to it,” added fellow South Williamsport senior Alizabeth Schuler.”
The co-op is a paid program that gives not only hands-on experience, but a boost to the start of students’ college careers. And for those who do not pursue higher education, there are opportunities to work at UPMC after the program. Of the 44 students who have graduated from the program in the last five co-ops, 14 have been hired into care attendant positions.
“When I first started the co-op, I didn’t know where within the hospital I wanted to go,” said Michael Yoas, another senior at South Williamsport. “This showed me the areas that I liked and enjoyed, and I want to someday become a registered nurse.”
While providing care to the patients is the top priority of this co-op, it is providing clarity to the students and affirming that this career path is right for them.
“It has been everything I imagined and more; this experience clarified for me that this is what I want to do with my life,” Lorson said.
“We really appreciate our partnership with Susquehanna Health Foundation and UPMC,” said Jonah Howe, regional affairs director at PPL Electric Utilities. “This type of opportunity is so crucial to the future of healthcare and taking care of our communities, and this level of program is a perfect fit for an Empowering Communities grant.”
The latest batch of co-op students have now officially moved on from the program, but two more semesters of students will join the team next school year, beginning in the fall.
“Over the years, the students have all been very responsible and hardworking, and it’s so great to see their excitement,” Gower said. “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from PPL, and we look forward to growing this program and educating these students.”
Apr 1, 2025 | Community Involvement
We enjoy giving back to our communities and neighbors in powerful ways, not because it looks good on paper, but because it is who we are. Aside from the warmth and liveliness of spring, it’s why we love April, one of the busiest months on our calendar.
The month of April will be busy once again in 2025, as we continue our 100-year commitment to serving eastern and central Pennsylvania. Here’s how we’ll be empowering our communities this month:
- 🌎 Caring for our environment: April is Earth Month, and Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. We will be taking part in a number of volunteer activities during the week of Earth Day, planting trees and sprucing up local parks in Harrisburg, Williamsport, Allentown, Bethlehem, Hazleton and Scranton.
- But before we head out for our Earth Day festivities, we’ll be in East Greenville on April 12 to clean up the Perkiomen Stream at the Kistler Bitting YMCA Park. We also are holding a family volunteer day event at the Wildlands Conservancy on April 12, where our employees will get to bring their families along to help beautify the conservancy’s nature preserves.
- 👨🏫 Supporting education: We know today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, so we support education year-round. April is a great example of what we do to aid curriculums throughout our service territory.
- On April 14, we will be hosting 75 students from the Allentown School District for an up-close look at careers in the energy industry. Students will learn about linework, cybersecurity, customer service, environmental management and more. Later in the month, we will also be hosting students from SUN Area Technical Institute for a tour of one of our service centers and to learn more about operations at PPL Electric Utilities.
- 💕 Giving and grants: Our grant programs help organizations throughout the 29 counties we serve inspire students and children, foster inclusion, encourage environmental stewardship and more. While our PPL Foundation team gets ready to notify this year’s recipients of Powering Equity Grants in May, we’re checking in with a pair of organizations that have already received funding from the PPL Foundation
- Another successful semester of the Student Career Exploration Co-Op Program is wrapping up at UPMC, where local high school students receive weekly hands-on nursing experience through the Susquehanna Health Foundation. The student-nurses will talk about all they’ve been able to learn through the program as they explore nursing as a career. Supporting STEM education is also something we strongly believe in. That’s why we’re excited to visit with our friends at Community Services for Children (CSC) in Allentown and watch their young students play and learn in CSC’s Innovation Lab. Funded in part by a PPL Foundation grant, the lab offers several hands-on learning activities.
Our employees give their time and money year-round to help nonprofit organizations, support sustainable communities and empower students and educators. We look forward to every opportunity to assist our neighborhoods, making April an especially exciting time. As spring begins to take over Pennsylvania, we look forward to springing into action throughout our communities!
