FPL awards grants to six nonprofits in Escambia County.

Florida Power & Light, through the NextEra Energy Foundation, awarded grants to six Escambia County nonprofits to support early childhood readiness, literacy, youth leadership, grief counseling and homelessness services.

Florida Power & Light Company, via the NextEra Energy Foundation, has awarded grants to six nonprofits serving Escambia County. The grants are aimed at programs that support early childhood readiness, summer and year-round literacy, youth leadership and workforce development, trauma-informed grief support, and services for people experiencing homelessness. The announcement names the six local organizations receiving support and outlines how each plans to use their grant funding. Key details: - Str8 Up Leadership Academy (Century) will use its grant to expand the Soul Train Club, focusing on leadership development, life skills and workforce readiness for local youth. - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida will use its grant to stock the pantry for its Taste of Home program, delivering meals and support for families with seriously ill children. - Valerie's House NWFL will fund the Powering Healing Through Connections program to expand trauma-informed grief support for children who have lost loved ones. - ReadyKids! will use support for its ReadingPals program to provide one-to-one mentoring for more than 250 prekindergarten children during the 2026 school year. - Waterfront Rescue Mission will apply its grant toward programs that provide shelter and services aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness regain stability. - Central Gulf Coast Freedom Schools will use funding to run its summer literacy and cultural enrichment program at no cost, aiming to counter summer learning loss and promote reading skills. Summary: The grants are intended to reinforce local programs serving children, families and people experiencing homelessness across Escambia County. Each nonprofit has a stated use for the funds related to program delivery and participant support. Undetermined at this time.