American Water and American Water Charitable Foundation Donate $29,000 to Camden, NJ Organizations

American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly-traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced today that it has donated $29,000 to several Camden, NJ based non-profit organizations.

Last month, the American Water Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by American Water, announced a $25,000 donation to Cathedral Kitchen to support the organization’s meal service program whose reach recently expanded in the community because of COVID-19.

“As with many underserved communities, hunger and food insecurity remain a top priority, with an overwhelming need for support, particularly during the recent holiday season and continuing impacts of COVID-19,” said Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation. “During this past year, Cathedral Kitchen adapted and expanded their services to meet the needs of the community, providing nutritious meals and services to those in need. We are grateful for their ability to provide this essential service and proud to support their efforts.”

Cathedral Kitchen, the largest emergency food provider in Camden, serves hot meals, provides social services support and personal care items to local residents every year. Utilizing Cathedral Kitchen’s impactful food service programs, the American Water Charitable Foundation will help to provide 25,000 meals to those facing hunger insecurities.

“This donation from American Water will be instrumental in helping Cathedral Kitchen continue to provide meals to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the Camden community. Now, more than ever before, the services we provide are needed. The unemployment rate in Camden before the pandemic was around 7%; now it is almost tripled to 20%,” said Carrie Kitchen-Santiago, executive director, Cathedral Kitchen. “We expect food insecurity in our community and throughout the country to increase as the economy continues to be severely impacted by the pandemic. We are grateful to the American Water Charitable Foundation, American Water and their employees for their continued support and concern for our meal guests and the community. This generous gift will support our efforts to help those hardest hit by the pandemic in our community.”

Additionally, American Water recently donated $2,000 to both the Boys and Girls Club of Camden County and the Center for Family Services to support local programs. Both non-profit organizations support and improve the quality of life for children and families in Camden City and County by providing essential services to residents.

"With this generous support from American Water, Center for Family Services is able to continue to support children and families with basic needs during the pandemic," said Richard Stagliano, President and CEO, Center for Family Services.

The Center for Family Services provides a variety of crisis prevention programs across New Jersey that are directed at improving the lives of children and families through early learning child development and preschool programs, counseling and behavioral health services, safe and supportive housing opportunities, workforce development programs and addiction and recovery resources. With a significant presence in Camden, the Center blends high quality services with personalized care to help people of all ages reach their full potential.

The Boys and Girls Club of Camden County, enables all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens by providing participating youth with a safe place to learn and grow while facilitating life-enhancing programs and character development experiences. The Club, located in the Parkside and East Camden neighborhoods, provides afterschool programs and summer camp activities targeted to younger children and teens.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About the American Water Charitable Foundation

The American Water Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a formal way to demonstrate the company’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor, citizen, and contributor to the communities where American Water and its employees live, work and operate. The Foundation helps support American Water employee-identified nonprofit endeavors.

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