American Water Donates $216,000 to Water For People
American Water Works Company, Inc. has donated $216,143 to Water For People through its companywide 2009 fundraising campaign. More than $140,000 was raised through employee contributions.
In addition, the company will sponsor Richard Bubien, a call handling supervisor in the company’s customer service center in Pensacola, Fla., to participate in a one-week Water For People Country Tour in Malawi in September 2009. Bubien was selected at random from a list of employees who contributed a minimum of $20 per month to the campaign. Water For People Country Tours give participants the extraordinary opportunity to travel to rural communities for a first-hand look at sustainable water and sanitation projects in progress and the difference they are making in people’s lives.
Water For People is an international nonprofit organization that supports locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygiene education programs for people in developing countries.
“I cannot understate Water For People’s tremendous work throughout much of the developing world in securing quality water and health resources for those who strongly and urgently need it,” said Ellen Wolf, senior vice president and chief financial officer of American Water, chair of the company’s 2009 giving campaign, and a member of Water For People’s board of directors. “Every year, American Water employees proudly contribute to the important efforts of Water For People through creative fundraising campaigns and events.”
“Our extensive efforts in response to the world’s water and health concerns are greatly strengthened through the generous donations from American Water,” said Ned Breslin, chief executive officer of Water For People. “American Water and its employees should be commended for their contribution – which cannot come at a more important time to address these water and health concerns.”
Water for People typically employs technologies such as protected spring-fed community water systems, gravity-fed systems, wells with hand pumps, latrine construction, operator training and hygiene education.