Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) celebrated the completion of energy efficiency upgrades at One Hopeful Place, a homeless shelter in Fort Walton Beach, on Wednesday.
- The event, held at the shelter’s 1564 N. Beal Extension location, showcased the improvements made through FPL’s Nonprofit Energy Makeover program.
The upgrades, which included replacing nearly 70 fluorescent lights with LED fixtures throughout the facility, aim to lower the shelter’s energy usage and reduce its electricity costs. These improvements will allow One Hopeful Place to redirect more funds toward its mission of supporting homeless individuals seeking self-sufficiency.
J.T. Young, vice president and general manager of the FPL Northwest region, emphasized the company’s commitment to community support. “At FPL, we are honored to support partners like One Hopeful Place who do so much for our community,” Young said. “Helping One Hopeful Place lower its energy usage also helps them lower their energy costs, allowing them to do even more to support our community and those seeking a brighter future.”
- Young also highlighted FPL’s broader community engagement efforts. “We really believe that it’s important that as we serve these communities, we make them better places for folks to live, raise a family, and really thrive,” he added.
Ted Corcoran, One Hopeful Place board president and president of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, provided historical context for the shelter’s establishment.
- “In 2007, the business community of Okaloosa County determined we had a need to take care of those who were down on their luck,” Corcoran explained. “It took us 10 years to establish this facility, and in 2017 the Chamber of Commerce took over the running of what became One Hopeful Place.”
Corcoran expressed gratitude for FPL’s long-standing support. “The one constant we’ve had in the 17 years that I’ve been doing this is Bernard Johnson and FPL,” he said. “What this does and what this says to the Chamber, to the business community, and the participants that are here, is that FPL cares.”
During the event, FPL surprised One Hopeful Place with an additional $1,500 donation to support their mission. “This will keep the lights on for many months, my friend,” Corcoran remarked upon receiving the check.
The energy makeover was a collaborative effort, with significant contributions from Cesco Lighting. Kristi Spohn from Cesco Lighting detailed their involvement: “Cesco did the one-for-one audit. We came in and assessed the building, selected the fixtures, came up with a lighting plan, collaborated, figured out which fixtures were going to be needed, and then made full arrangements to be on site.”
- Spohn elaborated on the improvements made: “They had completely outdated fixtures with different color temperatures and different color bulbs everywhere. By replacing everything, we get higher quality recommended lighting levels that ensure a safe environment for the residents. And overall, it just aesthetically looks 100% better.”
The collaboration between FPL, One Hopeful Place, and Cesco Lighting demonstrates a community-wide effort to support local nonprofits. FPL’s Nonprofit Energy Makeover program identifies organizations that could benefit from energy efficiency improvements, evaluates their facilities, and works with them to implement the upgrades.
Bernard Johnson, FPL’s Regional Manager for the Central District, emphasized the sustainable nature of the improvements. “It’s a great opportunity to do something for an organization [like One Hopeful Place] that will help them with their efficiencies and take a little edge off the power bill, and something that would be sustainable,” Johnson said.
FPL encourages customers to explore various programs and tools to manage their energy usage, which can be found at FPL.com/WaysToSave.
One Response
I am on the board of a nonprofit organization in Pensacola, Fearless Community. We will be serving homeless veterans and women and men living on the streets and woods providing services and temporary shelter in our newly purchased building. It is old and in need of improvements. We will not charge our clients and will rely on our sponsors and community for the cost of running the site. We are requesting an Energy Makeover.