The board of directors of the National Fuel Gas Company Foundation (Foundation), the charitable giving arm of National Fuel Gas Company (National Fuel), recently held its quarterly meeting and approved Foundation grants totaling $157,500. According to David P. Bauer, Foundation President and President and CEO of National Fuel, these contributions will help numerous communities meet critical needs. “Food insecurity is a vital and continuous need that only has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Bauer said. “Each year, the Foundation proudly supports food banks that serve the communities where we live and work, and, this year, we are happy to have expanded giving in this crucial area.” The following food banks received funding:

• FeedMore WNY
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania
• Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
• Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County

In addition, the board approved grant requests in both New York and Pennsylvania that support emergency shelters, health and human services, and veterans services.

In New York:

• Code Blue (via the Restoration Society) is a low-barrier, harm-reduction initiative that opens shelters at night when the temperature drops below 32 degrees.
• Sisters of Charity Hospital Foundation’s Food Farmacy connects food-insecure patients at risk for chronic disease with healthy food and educational support.
• Heart, Love & Soul provides a food pantry, daily breakfast and lunch, case management, care coordination, and street outreach for populations that are food insecure, low-income, mentally ill, disabled, and homeless in Niagara Falls.
• Explore & More Children’s Museum Blue Star Program offers free admission to active military families and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. National Fuel funding supports a monthly Military Appreciation Day in collaboration with the Veteran’s One-stop Center of WNY and the Niagara Falls Air Base.

In Pennsylvania:

• Community Shelter Services (CSS) is the largest shelter agency in Erie, providing immediate emergency shelter services as well as assisting individuals and families with various levels of support services.
• Trail Association of the McKean & Elk Divide (via Headwaters Charitable Trust) promotes the development and maintenance of non-motorized recreational trails and trailheads in McKean and Elk counties.

The National Fuel Gas Company Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation funded entirely by National Fuel through shareholder funds to better establish National Fuel’s commitment to the community. Foundation focus areas include the underserved/economically disadvantaged, education, community vitality/economic impact, and veteran services.