VOORHEES, NJ, Oct. 29, 2013 -- For the month of September, American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly-traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, held a companywide employee volunteer event titled, "AmerICANs in Action! Month of Service." More than 1,200 American Water employees volunteered 3,236 hours toward participating in 82 different community volunteer projects that represented the company's operations in 12 states and Ontario, Canada.
American Water launched a formal Corporate Responsibility program in 2009, and AmerICANs in Action!, which is one initiative of this program, aims to continue the company's efforts to create a lasting, positive impact in those communities the company serves. AmerICANs in Action! encourages teams of employees to volunteer in the communities where they live and work. In just its third year, the results from this year's event significantly surpassed last year's participation.
"From the pleasure of bringing smiles to the faces of children and senior citizens; to the appreciation expressed from residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Sandy; to organizing and packing food for those in need, our employees witnessed first-hand the incredible effect of community service," said Debra Vernon, Manager, Corporate Responsibility.
Employees demonstrated a diverse range of skills through projects that included a trail clean-up along the Ohio River Greenway in Indiana, rehabbing a Hurricane Sandy-ravaged house in New York, a beautification event at the Junior Blind in California, sorting and packing food for local pantries in New Jersey, and collecting hygiene products and school supplies for under privileged kids in Pennsylvania. Some employees volunteered at animal shelters, while others teamed up with their local Habitat for Humanity or United Way chapters.
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