Piedmont Natural Gas to match donations 5-to-1 to help Nashville-area hospitality workers

- Food Project's Community Cupboard provides groceries to workers who have lost jobs or income due to COVID-19 closures

- Utility will contribute $5 for every $1 donated, up to $25,000

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Apr 30, 2020, 10:47 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas today announced it will donate up to $25,000 to The Nashville Food Project's Community Cupboard initiative to help area hospitality workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Piedmont will match contributions five to one, meaning the company will give $5 for every $1 donated.

The Community Cupboard is a program to provide 100 "shares" of groceries – such as eggs, milk and produce – each week at no cost to those who have experienced job and wage loss as a result of COVID-19 business closures.

Some of the produce comes from supplies that local farmers normally would have sold to restaurants. With fewer restaurant orders due to the pandemic, the program also helps farmers by providing a market for their excess produce.

"We are extremely proud to support the Community Cupboard program in addressing food needs for our local hospitality employees, some of whom were the first to lose their employment due to coronavirus closings," said Stephen Francescon, community relations manager for Piedmont. "And by purchasing excess produce from our local farmers, this program ends up helping so many in need in our community."

As part of an additional partnership between The Nashville Food Project and Fat Bottom Brewing, at least 50 of the weekly grocery shares will be distributed to out-of-work hospitality workers from the Nashville area.

"Fat Bottom Brewing and The Nashville Food Project are proud to partner with community leaders such as Piedmont Natural Gas to help support Middle Tennessee's hospitality industry during this difficult time," said Fat Bottom Brewery business development director Quinn O'Sullivan. "With Piedmont's support, we can offer groceries to even more folks each week."

To donate to The Nashville Food Project's Community Cupboard, visit https://thenashvillefoodproject.kindful.com/piedmontng.

To learn more about The Nashville Food Project's Community Cupboard program, visit https://illumination.duke-energy.com/articles/nashville-food-project-provides-groceries-pay-to-hospitality-workers-in-need.

For more information on how Piedmont is assisting the community and its customers during the pandemic, visit piedmontng.com/updates.

Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is an energy services company whose principal business is the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company also supplies natural gas to power plants. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas