CLEVELAND, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy has presented $110,000 in grants to 15 Ohio community organizations in its 24th annual Community Impact Award competition, co-sponsored with Cleveland Magazine.

A panel of community judges chose the winners from among more than 50 entries, submitted by organizations throughout the region. The awards recognize non-profit organizations that make Ohio communities better places to live, learn, work and play. The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, funds the Community Impact Award grants. The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation is dedicated to the economic, physical and social health of the communities the company serves.

"As we have come to expect, this year's Community Impact Award honorees devised, developed and delivered a wide range of ambitious, innovative and unique projects," said Jim Eck, vice president and general manager, Ohio and West Virginia Distribution. "These projects demonstrate the major role our region's non-profit and economic development agencies play in improving their local communities.

Since 1996, Dominion Energy and its predecessors have distributed more than $1.9 million in Community Impact Awards to Ohio organizations.

Towards Employment of Cleveland received a special $10,000 Workforce Development grant for its Bloom Bakery Baking the Change program. The program focuses on formerly incarcerated individuals, young adults aging out of foster care and residents of economically distressed Cleveland neighborhoods. The transitional job program helps participants develop baking skills, while receiving resume building and case management support. Over six years, Towards Employment expects the program to generate 100 transitional jobs, 120 work experiences and five permanent jobs, for a total community opportunity of at least $2.5 million in wages.

This year's Community Impact Award winners are:

ArtsinStark of Canton received $12,500 for its Canton Music Block program, a series of live music concerts. The performances, which have attracted tens of thousands of visitors, helped generate more than $835,000 in economic impact and enhanced redevelopment in downtown Canton.

The Children's Museum of Cleveland received $10,000 for its Museum for All program, which provides discounted tickets to lower-income families. The discounted tickets, available to families who show proof of receiving federal assistance, have helped increase attendance, while making the museum experience available to children who otherwise would not have been able to afford it.

United Way Services of Geauga County received $10,000 for its Bridges@Work program. The program connects working families with a variety of local programs and services, coordinating with several local partners, including the Geauga Growth Partnership, Catholic Charities Services and Geauga Credit Union.

Cleveland Leadership Center received $7,500 for its Accelerate: Citizens Make Change program. The annual civic competition provides prospective entrepreneurs incentives to develop ideas to make positive changes within the community.

JumpStart Inc., of Cleveland, received $7,500 for its Core City: Cleveland Impact program. This three-month program works to provide business advising and industry-specific mentoring to a diverse group of new entrepreneurs within the community.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership of Warren received $7,500 for its Building a Better Warren program, which provides training and on-the-job mentorship for residents while improving city neighborhoods.

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation received $7,500 for its Clean Up Glenwood Avenue program. The program is working to revitalize the neighborhood surrounding one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. Accomplishments include rehabilitating apartment units and single family houses, planting 145 trees and adding LED spotlights to improve safety at Glenwood Community Park. The work also has generated such tangible economic benefits as generating six new permanent jobs, 25 construction jobs and the opening of three businesses.

Ronald McDonald House of Akron received $5,000 for its facility expansion. The 48,000-square-foot, 42-room facility offers housing, a meal service, laundry facilities, work and study spaces and play areas, tor families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at area hospitals.

The Cleveland Police Foundation received $5,000 for its Public Safety Career Pipeline program. The program provides high school students with mentorship and hands-on experience, with the goal of developing a pool of prospective candidates interested in becoming police officers and dispatchers, corrections officers, forensic laboratory technicians and cyber security analysts.

The Music Settlement of Cleveland received $5,000 for expanding its music and arts outreach and programming services at its new campus in the West Side Ohio City neighborhood. The Music Settlement offers its services to everyone, regardless of their skill level or ability to pay.

True Freedom Enterprises of Cleveland received $5,000 for its Workforce Training Experience externship program, which helps incarcerated, first-time, non-violent offenders, prepare for employment in the culinary field after their release. The program provides transportation, on-the-job supervision and job placement help. In its first year, members of the program's initial class of participants reported a 100-percent placement rate with full-time jobs with benefits in area restaurants.

Union Miles Development Corporation of Cleveland received $5,000 for its Building Futures program. The program fulfills a twofold purpose of helping citizens returning from incarceration receive construction skills training and finding work rehabilitating blighted, vacant houses within city neighborhoods.

United Way of Greater Stark County of Canton received $5,000 for its Financial Prosperity Center. The program offers employment assistance, financial education/budget coaching and access to income supports, benefits and tax credits. Pre- and post-assessments of some of the 3,500 people served last year shows financial goals being met, from increasing credit scores to securing full-time jobs with benefits.

Van Wert City Schools received $7,500 for its Career Education Opportunity internship program, which provides city high school students an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience with about 30 local businesses. The program enables participating students to begin thinking about potential future careers, encouraging them to consider necessary steps to prepare for them.

About Dominion Energy

Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable, and safe energy and is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy with about $100 billion of assets providing electric generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas storage, transmission, distribution, and import/export services. As one of the nation's leading solar operators, the company intends to reduce its carbon intensity 60 percent by 2030. Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed more than $30 million in 2018 to community causes throughout its footprint and beyond. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy