Missouri American provides grants to two area non-profits
The American Water Charitable Foundation and Missouri American Water have partnered to award grants to two local non-profit organizations that are helping local communities battle the effects of the ongoing health emergency.
The American Water Charitable Foundation provided $300,000 for grants across American Water’s 16 regulated state operations, with $25,000 coming to Missouri non-profits that experienced an increase demand in services due to COVID-19. Of that, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Missouri will receive $2,500. Bright Futures will receive $1,000.
“The funds will help us implement Summer Brain Gain and provide educational opportunities to youth 6 – 18,” said Amia Warren, Development Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Summer Brain Gain helps prevent summer learning loss so children can be prepared when school resumes.”
“In a time of such uncertainty, the need to provide stability for our kids has felt more important than ever. Bright Futures is happy to help them meet those needs with the support of Missouri American Water, said Sarah Coyne, Bright Futures Joplin. “This grant provided at-home learning packs for families in the Parents As Teachers program, supply kits for kindergartners and first graders, and allowed for additional food distribution to students and families all around Joplin. It’s community support like this that lets our kids know they’re not alone — they’re backed by people who truly care about their well-being and success.
“At Missouri American Water, we consider ourselves a community partner, and this grant program is a great example of that,” said Matthew Barnhart senior manager operations for Missouri American Water in Joplin. “While we continue to provide safe and reliable water and sewer service to our customers in this region, we recognize that during the ongoing health crisis, more needs to be done. We are glad to have been able to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Bright Futures to help area children during this time.
Missouri American Water was one of the first water utilities to suspend shut-offs for nonpayment and restore previously disconnected service. Missouri American Water has also suspended late fees until further notice and is working with customers who are experiencing financial hardships, including offering the option to apply for payment programs and its H20 Help to Others payment assistance program. Details are available on our website at: https://amwater.com/moaw/customer-service-billing/paym