American Water gives $500K toward COVID relief efforts

American Water is making a $500,000 donation to COVID-19 relief efforts through its American Water Charitable Foundation, the Camden-based utility announced Monday.

The water and wastewater utility said in a news release that the 501(c)(3) nonprofit will distribute the money directly to several initiatives, including the American Water Employee Crisis Fund and the community-focused COVID-19 Response Fund.

“Providing this donation to our charitable foundation ensures that every grant dollar will be awarded directly to organizations making a valuable impact in the communities served by American Water and managing through the COVID-19 crisis,” Water Lynch, who took over as CEO on April 1, said in a prepared statement. “We know our customers, our communities and our employees have all been personally impacted.”

American Water and the AWCF also recently announced a $100,000 donation to Feeding America to help food banks nationwide support those affected by the coronavirus.

“There has never been a more critical time in our country to support one another or lend a charitable hand to our communities and our employees in need,” Carrie Williams, the AWCF’s president, said in a statement.

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