February 11, 2003

Stark County Regional Planning's Stock Pile program, which helps needy families with funding and supplies for emergency repairs to their homes, has earned a $5,000 Community Impact Award, an award co-sponsored by Dominion East Ohio and Inside Business magazine.

In the eighth annual award competition, Dominion awarded $50,000 to seven winners selected by a panel of judges from 65 entries submitted by organizations throughout northeast Ohio. The award recognizes cities or groups that have made an impact in the community. Grant funds come from the Dominion Foundation.

Stock Pile has grown into a 10,000 square foot facility with two full-time workers and four part-time staff. The program provides everything from paint to plumbing for low- and moderate-income families, as well as non-profit organizations that qualify and sign up for a free membership. To date, more than 700 families and 83 non-profit groups have joined and come to the Stock Pile during the eight to 12 days the facility is open each month.

"We support the outstanding efforts of all the people involved in these award-winning projects," said Jay L. Johnson, president and chief executive officer. "Their work goes a long way in revitalizing our communities and making them better places in which to live, work and play."

Other Community Impact Award winners include:

• The Community Hall Foundation's massive renovation project that restored the Akron Civic Theatre to its days of old;
• Ohio City Near West Development Corporation for its massive renovation and redevelopment of the former Fries and Schuele building in Ohio City, which now includes a market and apartments;
• Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber Foundation for an ongoing continued commitment towards building the infrastructure in the region through Grow Mahoning Valley;
• Slavic Village Development, for a project that helped preserve Mill Creek Falls in the Warner Road-Turney Road neighborhood;
• ParkWorks, for its beautification project at Orchard School Community Park; and
• Common Wealth Inc., for Sycamore Place, an apartment complex for seniors in Campbell.

Dominion has a diversified and integrated energy portfolio consisting of about 24,000 megawatts of generation. Dominion also serves more than 3.8 million franchise natural gas and electric customers in five states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

# # #