Duke Energy Awards $225,000 in Grants to Help South Carolina Seniors With Critical Home Improvements

Duke Energy announced on December 13, 2023 that its Senior Home Repair Program has awarded $225,000 in grants to 15 qualifying South Carolina nonprofits that perform critical health and safety repairs for senior homeowners. The program is designed to help older residents remain in their homes by addressing repairs they often cannot afford or physically complete on their own.

Grants of up to $20,000 were issued through a request for proposals announced earlier in the fall of 2023. Funds can be used for projects such as installing safety handrails in bathrooms, replacing rotting floors, building handicap ramps and repairing unsafe steps. The grant guidelines exclude weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades and solar equipment, keeping the focus on immediate safety and accessibility issues.

"A simple home repair or safety improvement can be the big difference" between a senior staying in their home or being forced to leave, said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina president, in announcing the awards. Nonprofit leaders who received funding echoed that message, noting that many seniors live on fixed incomes and have no practical way to pay for even modest repairs.

The 15 recipient organizations and their award amounts are: Academic Technology and Wellness Academy in Cherokee County ($10,000); AIM ($20,000); Caring and Sharing Inc., serving Georgetown, Florence and Williamsburg counties ($20,000); Citizens United for Redevelopment and Economic Stability of Chester ($10,000); Darlington Long-Term Recovery Group ($10,000); Habitat for Humanity Greenville County ($20,000); Habitat for Humanity Spartanburg ($20,000); Habitat for Humanity of York County ($20,000); Helping Florence Flourish ($15,000); Home Works of America in Greenwood County ($10,000); Marion Dillon Habitat for Humanity ($15,000); Marlboro County Coordinating Council ($10,000); Rebuild Upstate, serving Oconee and Pickens counties ($10,000); Sumter United Ministries ($20,000); and United Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties ($15,000).

Senior homeowners seeking help through the program do not apply directly to Duke Energy. Instead, qualifying residents in the counties served by each recipient nonprofit can contact those organizations to learn about eligibility and request repair work funded by the grants. Priority is typically given to low-income homeowners age 60 and older whose homes have urgent safety hazards.

The 2023 awards mark a significant expansion of Duke Energy's senior home repair giving in South Carolina. An earlier round of the program announced in 2022 totaled $200,000, and previous senior home ramp grants were awarded at the $100,000 level, reflecting growing demand for aging-in-place support statewide.