AREA CHARITIES BENEFIT FROM $1 MILLION UE GIFT

Union Electric is donating $1 million to charitable organizations in Missouri and Illinois, the company announced Monday.

The money will be used to provide food, shelter and energy assistance for needy families, and to provide health care for children. It will go to the Dollar More program, the United Way, Salvation Army and two St. Louis children's hospitals.

Dollar More, Union Electric's energy assistance program, will receive $300,000. The money helps needy people pay their energy bills.

Another $250,000 will go to the United Way of Greater St. Louis, and $250,000 will be distributed to the Salvation Army centers in St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, St. Charles, Arnold, Jefferson City, Kirksville and Columbia.

The remaining $200,000 will be given to St. Louis Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.

Virgil Chirnside, district manager of Union Electric, said the money will be allocated to the needy by the individual organizations. He said this is the first year the company has made a commitment to give to the organizations other than during corporate pledges.

This donation is in addition to the company's regular corporate giving, he said.

"The company has looked into the needs of people in our service area," Chirnside said. "We've looked at conditions across the state and we believe the money can be used to help people. The needs in our communities are exceptional right now."

Chirnside continued: "We believe our local economy is much better than it is on the east or west coasts, but people in this area have been effected by plant shutdowns and layoffs for various reasons."

Molly Martin, supervisor of community services for Union Electric, said the money donated to the Dollar More program is money taken from company profits, not from customer contributions. Customer donations are already being used to help the needy pay their bills, she said.

Last year, Martin said, the Dollar More program assisted 100 families in the Cape Girardeau area with their utility bills. About 5,000 families throughout Union Electric's service area were helped last year by Dollar More.