Duke Energy Florida and Florida Council on Aging announce $70,000 storm recovery donation for Jefferson Senior Citizens Center

• Storm damage forced senior center to close, displacing clients who rely on critical services

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida, in collaboration with the Florida Council on Aging, today announced a $70,000 donation to the Jefferson Senior Citizens Center in Monticello, Fla.

After severe storms blew through north Florida this spring, the facility sustained severe damage, displacing seniors who rely on its critical services.

"During a heavy rain on April 10, water came from everywhere. With nowhere else to go, it came into our building. There were so many emotions because we could no longer serve the clients or the community. Devastated because we understood how much the center was needed, and we kept moving because there was no time to stop," shared Mazie Woodson-Glenn, Jefferson Senior Citizens Center, Inc. Executive Director. "Duke Energy stepped in to help us alleviate some of those emotions and financial burdens with a gift of $70,000. We are so thankful for Duke Energy and all they do for the community."

The center serves nearly 50 seniors in person and provides in-home services to more than a dozen others. All clients are 60 years of age or older.

"I am grateful for the substantial donation that Duke Energy made to the Jefferson Senior Center," said state Rep. Allison Tant. "This substantial assistance from this vital community partner will help ensure that repairs can be made to the building after the deluge of rain flooded the facility. The work of the senior center is vital to the health and well-being of the citizens served. Duke Energy learned about this need and stepped up to address it decisively." 

There are a variety of services the center offers, including hot meals, assistance with utility bills and even a place to play bingo.

"The Florida Council on Aging (FCOA) is enormously grateful to Duke Energy for their ongoing partnership with our members, and especially so for this tremendously impactful donation to the seniors of Jefferson County," said Margaret Lynn Duggar, Executive Director of the Florida Council on Aging. "Duke Energy was not only generous, but also quick in their response. Senior centers offer socialization, which we now know is essential to older persons' actual health, and also to their nutrition through the meals served, and to their access to critical information and connection to other needed services. Senior centers are lifesavers for many older adults. Duke Energy has demonstrated through this donation that they know this."

From floors to furniture, the center has begun the process of recovery. This donation will help renovate the building so it is safe for seniors to return and reconnect with their community.

"At Duke Energy, we recognize the importance of senior centers and the critical role they play in supporting some of our most vulnerable customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "As a company, we power the lives of our customers but we also want to make a difference in the lives of the customers and communities we serve."

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Media contact: Ana Gibbs
Media line: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy