— Dominion Resources understands families are facing economic hardships

— Funds will replenish food banks in 14 states

— Donation follows $5 million contribution to EnergyShare in May

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ — The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, one of the nation’s largest energy producers, announced today it is donating more than $1 million to food banks in the communities in which it operates.

“Dominion wants to help our neighbors who are encountering hardships during the current economic downturn,” said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion. “This contribution will help put food on the table for families in 14 states during the holiday season.”

The contribution will provide 21.4 million pounds of food and grocery products, according to Feeding America, formerly America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s leading hunger-relief charity. Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.

“The economic conditions in the United States today are placing unprecedented demands on our food banks around the country,” said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of Feeding America. “This generous gift from Dominion will do much to help keep the food flowing in many states. This could not come at a better time and shows the real power of corporate engagement in the causes so vital to our communities.”

The grant is being distributed to food banks as follows:

• $555,000 in Virginia and North Carolina;
  
• $250,000 in Ohio;
  
• $70,000 in Pennsylvania;
  
• $70,000 in West Virginia;
  
• $70,000 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York;
  
• $50,000 in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana;
  
• $20,000 in Maryland, and
  
• $20,000 in Texas.

Dominion also expanded its support for EnergyShare with an additional $5 million contribution in May. EnergyShare has donated more than $31 million to families in need during its 26-year history and is supported by donations from Dominion and its customers, employees and EnergyShare partners, including businesses, churches and civic organizations.

EnergyShare has helped more than 150,000 families in Virginia. The hugely successful program has been providing funds to help people in need pay any type of home heating bill since 1983. In June 2008, EnergyShare became a year-round program when it began paying summer electricity bills for those in need.

This year, Dominion, its charitable foundation and its employees will invest more than $20 million and 100,000 volunteer hours in programs that help improve the quality of life for people in the states where Dominion operates power stations, natural gas and other energy facilities.

Grant focus areas included preservation of natural and historic resources, work force development and education, diversity initiatives, neighborhood and community development, and meeting basic needs for food, shelter and clothing.

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation. Dominion serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.dom.com.

Dominion Foundation Food Bank Grant Allocation

VirginiaCentral Virginia Foodbank (Richmond,VA)$100,000Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia (Norfolk,VA)$100,000Capital Area Foodbank (Lorton, VA) designated for Northern Virginia$100,000Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula (Newport News, VA)$50,000Second Harvest Food Bank (Salem, VA) designated for Abingdon & Southwest, VA $50,000Blue Ridge Area Foodbank (Winchester, VA) designated for Fauquier/Loudoun$30,000Blue Ridge Area Foodbank (Charlottesville, VA) designated for Charlottesville/Albemarle$30,000Fredericksburg Area Foodbank (Fredericksburg, VA)$25,000Alleghany Highlands Area Foodbank (Covington, VA)$15,000Shenandoah Valley Area Foodbank (Verona, VA)$15,000Food for Others (Fairfax, VA)$5,000$520,000North CarolinaFoodbank of the Albemarle (Elizabeth City, NC)$25,000Foodbank of Central & Eastern NC (Raleigh, NC)$10,000$35,000MarylandMaryland Food Bank (Hughesville, MD) designated for Southern Maryland$20,000OhioCleveland Foodbank (Cleveland,OH)$75,000Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank(Akron,OH)$50,000Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley (Youngstown, OH)35,000West Ohio Foodbank (Lima, OH)$20,000Marietta Community Foundation (Marietta, OH) Designated for local pantries$20,000United Way of Lake County (Mentor, OH) Food distribution in Lake County$10,000Hunger Task Force (Cleveland, OH)$10,000Family & Community Services (Ravenna, OH) Portage County Food Program$5,000Lima Community Foundation (Lima, OH) Designated for local pantries$5,000Ashtabula Community Action Agency (Ashtabula, OH) Food Pantry$5,000People to People Ministries Food Pantry(Wooster, OH)$5,000Tuscarawas County Community Foundation (New Philadelphia, OH)Designated for local pantries$5,000Country Neighbor Program, Inc. (Orwell, OH) Food Pantry$2,500Barberton Area Community Ministries (Barberton, OH) Food Pantry$2,500$250,000PennsylvaniaGreater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (Duquesne, PA)$50,000Indiana County Community Action Program Food Pantry (Indiana,PA)$5,000Greater Washington County Food Bank (Eighty Four, PA)$5,000Altoona Food Bank (Altoona, PA)$5,000Philabundance (Philadelphia, PA)$5,000$70,000West VirginiaClarksburg Mission Food Pantry (Clarksburg, WV)$10,000WCLG-FM Holiday Food Drive (Morgantown, WV)$10,000Sobrania Food Pantry (Fairmont, WV)$10,000Old Man Rivers Food Pantry (Parkersburg, WV)$10,000Mountain Top Food Pantry (Mt. Storm, WV)$10,000Duff St. UMC Food Pantry (Clarksburg, WV)$5,000Our Neighbor Lewis County United Methodist Ministries (Weston,WV)designated for soup kitchen$5,000Mountaineer Food Pantry (Gassaway, WV)$5,000Council of the Southern Mountains, Inc. (Northfork, WV)designated for soup kitchen$5,000$70,000NEW ENGLANDConnecticutGemma E Moran Food Center (New London, CT)$7,500Front Porch Foundation (New London, CT) Child Nutrition Programs$5,000Groton Social Services (Groton, CT) Groton Food Locker & Senior Nutrition Awareness Program$5,000New London Area Food Coalition (New London, CT)$5,000Opportunities Industrial Center Food Pantry (New London, CT)$5,000Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center (Pawcatuck, CT) Emergency Food Pantry$5,000MassachusettsFall River Community Soup Kitchen (Fall River, MA)$3,500Greater Fall River Food Pantry (Fall River, MA)$3,500Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen (Fall River, MA)$3,500St. Joseph’s Food Pantry (Salem, MA)$3,500The Salem Mission (Salem, MA) Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen$3,500New YorkFood Bank of Central NY (East Syracuse, NY)$2,500Food Bank of the Southern Tier (Elmira, NY)$2,500Foodlink (Rochester, NY)$2,500Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York (Latham, NY)$2,500Rhode IslandRhode Island Community Food Bank (Providence, RI)$10,000$70,000MIDWESTWisconsinPaul’s Pantry (Green Bay, WI)$10,000Peter’s Pantry (Manitowoc, WI)$4,000Salvation Army (Green Bay, WI) Emergency Food Assistance$2,000Two Rivers Ecumenical Pantry (Two Rivers, WI)$2,000Lakeshore Community Action Partnership of Wisconsin (Manitowoc,WI) Food pantry services in Kewaunee & Door Counties$2,000IllinoisCentral Illinois Foodbank (Springfield, IL)$10,000Hegewisch Community Committee (Chicago, IL) Emergency Food Assistance$5,000IndianaFoodbank of Northwestern Indiana (Gary, IN)$10,000Community Action Program of Western Indiana (Oxford, IN)Emergency Food Assistance in Benton County$5,000$50,000TexasNETWORK of Community Ministries, Inc. (Richardson, TX) Emergency Services Food Program$10,000North Texas Food Bank (Dallas, TX)$10,000$20,000

NOTE TO EDITORS: Video and audio clips are available for download at: http://www.dom.com/news/media_downloads.jsp Now available are B-roll video featuring Dominion volunteers assisting at the food bank and audio clips featuring William C. Hall Jr., president of the Dominion Foundation. Check back at 2 p.m. for B-roll video of Tom Farrell, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion, and Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of Feeding America./