Eversource awarded United Way of Hampshire County a $16,000 grant. “The timing is great,” said United Way Executive Director John Bidwell, “We are finishing up this year’s campaign and a gift like this goes a long way to helping our work.”
Eversource gave grants to other United Ways, including to United Way of Franklin County, which is merging with United Way of Hampshire on July 1. Sarah Tanner, Interim Executive Director in Franklin County added, “We have always appreciated Eversource’s commitment to community, but it means all the more as we help the region recover from the pandemic.”
“The work that United Way has done to help our communities over the past year has been amazing,” said Theresa Hopkins-Staten, President of the Eversource Foundation, “We realize it has been a challenging time and that many people were able to make it through because of their tireless efforts.”
Eversource has a strong history of community support, including recent energy efficiency programs before the summer season. This helps customers save money as well as reducing the burden on the energy grid. During the height of the pandemic, they offered customers struggling to pay electric or heating bills a way to protect against electric and heating shutoff and a matching payment program to reduce past payments.
“We applaud Eversource’s dedication,” said Bidwell, “both through United Way and in other ways, to reduce the hardship too many of our neighbors. Especially now. Especially through the pandemic.”