2024 Cornerstone Grant Recipients: Feeding Northeast Florida, The NEED Project
The Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association (CFEBA) has selected Feeding Northeast Florida as the 2024 Cornerstone Grant Recipient, awarding the organization $50,000 to support the installation of solar electric infrastructure designed to reduce food bank utility costs and provide resiliency in the face of natural disasters.
Feeding Northeast Florida
Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization whose mission is to solve hunger in Northeast Florida. The large regional food bank serves hundreds of communities across 12-counties in Florida. FNEFL’s solar energy project reflects a green initiative to lower food bank energy costs, enabling reallocation of funds to food purchase additional food. The projected energy cost savings from this project will allow the organization to provide an additional 90,000 meals annually to those in need.
Food insecurity is a challenge facing many communities across the country, and organizations like Feeding Northeast Florida are on the front lines meeting this challenge. The CFEBA Cornerstone Grant will help Feeding Northeast Florida provide an additional 90,000 meals each year, and the new solar infrastructure will help make the food bank more resilient when faced with natural disasters.
- Kelli Cole, CFEBA President
The NEED Project
The CFEBA also announced a smaller $10,000 grant to the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED). The NEED Project works with energy companies, state and federal agencies, and other organizations to produce energy programs for U.S. schools. As part of NEED Project curricula, students learn how to design buildings to maximize energy efficiency, install solar panels, monitor wind turbine output, learn about oil and gas exploration in shale, explore transportation technologies, and more.. NEED students are the future of the energy workforce and the CFEBA is excited to support its education and workforce development efforts.
The CFEBA is thrilled to support the NEED project with a $10,000 grant to fund K-12 energy education in underserved communities. Energy is an integral part of our daily lives, and we need smart and effective energy policy decisions today and in the years to come. The NEED Project provides vital energy education to students to boost energy literacy and help spark an interest in the energy industry as a future career opportunity.
- Kelli Cole, CFEBA President
Prior CFEBA Grant Projects
The availability of affordable energy is one of the world's critical issues impacting public health, safety and education. Statistics say there are approximately 1.3 billion people living in energy poverty around the world.
CFEBA supports charitable projects that have an energy-related purpose and are focused on improving lives worldwide. Over the years, through the generous support of our members, the CFEBA has funded approximately 2 million dollars to provide energy access to those most in need.
Cornerstone Project 2023: Nova Ukraine
As a result of recent attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, Nova Ukraine‘s grant request focused on the immediate need for electric generators in hospitals and warming centers across the country. This grant of $50,000 covered nearly 60% of the initial generator project needs.
Cornerstone Project 2020, Yurok Tribe
In 2020, CFEBA donors helped the Yurok Tribe, the largest federally recognized Indian Tribe in California, build a micro-grid that will allow the Tribe to maintain critical services and operations during extended power outages and emergencies.
Cornerstone Project 2019, Educate Haiti
In 2019, the CFEBA partnered with Educate Haiti, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to electrify schools buildings and help educate more than 400 students in Durissy, Haiti.
Cornerstone Project 2018- Puerto Rico Primary Care
The 2018 grant to Puerto Rico Primary Cary funded the installation of an integrated hybrid solar power system that powered the refrigeration units at the primary care clinics across the hurricane ravaged island.
Cornerstone Project 2017, Innovation Africa
With the help of CFEBA donors, Innovation Africa has completed drilling beneath the ground in the aquifer, has installed a water tank, a solar pump, and solar panels to pump water up to the tank. The Akuyam village now has access to CLEAN WATER!
Cornerstone Project 2016, Light Up a Village
In 2016, the CFEBA partnered with NRECA International Foundation to support the men and women of U.S. utilities who lend their skills to design and implement rural electrification programs, bringing electricity to parts of the world that lack it. This important new project provided life-changing electricity to 460 families in rural El Beni, Bolivia, a farming region located between the northeastern Bolivian cities of Guayaramerin and Riberalta.
Additional Grant Recipients
Learn more about CFEBA grant recipients prior to 2016.
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