Back to list Service & repair Aug 16, 2015 23:00 Direct Energy Honors Founder of Food Distribution Program as Harrisburg's Volunteer Citizen of the Year Harrisburg, PA (August 17, 2015) - Leanne Kalb was selected as this year's winner of the Harrisburg Volunteer Citizen of the Year award by Direct Energy and PA Media Group. Kalb was recognized for creating and managing a district-wide food distribution program, which feeds K-12 students' families who are part of the East Pennsboro Education Foundation. Partnered with the East Pennsboro Education Foundation's Board and the Central PA Food Bank, Kalb developed Pantherpack, a program that provides weekly food supplies to food-insecure families. She started with a pilot program that fed 50 families and relied on in-kind food donations from the community. In April 2015, the board adopted the program, allowing for expansion from elementary students to K-12 in the 2015-2016 school year. Kalb also organizes food transportation, continues to fundraise and coordinates volunteers to help build the packs of food each week. "The in-kind donations and volunteers help to provide food security and a peace of mind to families throughout the community," said Kalb. "I'm humbled by this recognition. At the same time, I'm thrilled and grateful that we can serve even more families with donations from Direct Energy." "Leanne's founding of Pantherpack is a great example of a community leader stepping up to fulfill a need," said Cullen Hay, US-North general manager at Direct Energy. "Her contribution is making a difference in people's lives, which is part of Direct Energy's mission in the community." As the winner of the Harrisburg Volunteer Citizen of the Year award, the East Pennsboro Education Foundation will receive a $5,000 donation from Direct Energy. The donation will be used to help with the Pantherpack program's expansion to serve middle school and high school students in the 2015-2016 school year. A special award event honoring Kalb will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. Representatives from Direct Energy and PA Media Group will be on hand to present her with the award. The event will be held at East Pennsboro Area School District Administration Building (890 Valley Street, Enola, PA 17025). The public is welcome to attend. For further information, please contact: Jessica Michan Manager, External Relations Jessica.Michan@directenergy.com 713-904-7488 About Direct Energy Direct Energy is a leading energy and energy-related services provider with nearly five million residential and commercial customers in North America. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com. About PA Media Group PA Media Group is central Pennsylvania's top local news source as a digital-first media company comprised of trusted brands, including The Patriot-News, a multi award-winning newspaper serving central Pennsylvania for over 150 years; PennLive.com, central Pennsylvania's number one news website with real-time information and nearly 2.5 million unique visitors monthly; Central PA Magazine, a bimonthly lifestyle, arts, and culture magazine reaching 35,000 households; and a host of Web apps and e-newsletters that together ensure central Pennsylvania has 24/7 access to what is happening locally and in their world. PA Media Group is owned by Advance Publications, Inc. To learn more, visit www.thepamediagroup.com.