Founder of The Foundation for Hope Named Harrisburg Volunteer Citizen of the Year

Harrisburg, PA (April 14, 2014) - In its second year, Direct Energy and PA Media Group, publishers of The Patriot-News, Pennlive.com and Central PA Magazine, have named their 2014 Harrisburg Volunteer Citizen of the Year winner, Jesse Gantt. Gantt is the founder of The Foundation for Hope, a nonprofit organization that serves Central Pennsylvania and is dedicated to providing support to those affected by bullying, depression or suicide. The Foundation for Hope staffs the HopeLine, a 24/7 confidential hotline for those in need of a caring person to talk to and recommend helpful resources.

Jesse Gantt founded The Foundation for Hope in 2012 and through this organization and its volunteers, Jesse strives to show others that bullying is not just a rite of passage, depression does not need to last forever and that life is too precious to lose. Since The Foundation for Hope's inception, Gantt has organized a volunteer base of more than 150 individuals, formed and staffed the HopeLine and assisted in opening A Place for Hope Community Center that offers a safe place for those affected by bullying, suicide or depression. Through personal experience and education, Gantt serves as a motivational speaker and has appeared on several television and radio segments and travels to community events, organizations, schools and businesses to talk about the harmful realities of suicide, depression and bullying. Due to Jesse's tireless efforts, The Foundation for Hope and its HopeLine has successfully fielded hundreds of calls and assisted many individuals in seeking the help they need and most importantly, has intervened in several life-or-death situations. All of these initiatives are made possible by individual contributions and without government funding.

"It's obvious that Jesse and The Foundation for Hope are saving lives and helping others receive the help and support they need to overcome some of life's hardest tribulations," said Chris Charbonneau, commercial manager for Direct Energy. "Jesse's leadership and dedication is invaluable to Central Pennsylvania."

By winning the Harrisburg Volunteer Citizen of the Year award, Gantt will receive a $5,000 donation from Direct Energy to The Foundation for Hope. The donation will be used to further develop the organization's reach and to expand its services so that it can help even more people.

A special award event honoring Jesse Gantt will be held on Monday, April 28, 2014 at 5:00 pm. Representatives from Direct Energy and PA Media Group will be on hand to present Gantt with his award. The event is open to the public and will be held at A Place for Hope Community Center at 107 Locust Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.

For further information, please contact:
Julie Hendry
Direct Energy
Julie.Hendry@directenergy.com
(412) 667-6133