The new grant agreement will fund a variety of conservation and community access projects to be built by union volunteers, such as this public fishing pier constructed in 2018 through an AWCF-USA joint effort at Griffin Reservoir near Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) are pleased to announce a $300,000 grant in support of their growing partnership and shared commitment to unite the union community in preservation of North America’s outdoor heritage.
“The American Water Charitable Foundation is pleased to continue our support of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance through a multi-year grant directly benefiting the USA’s all-volunteer Work Boots on the Ground program,” said AWCF Chair Fred Myers. “Work Boots on the Ground brings union members and American Water employees together to volunteer their time and skills on water-related conservation projects that benefit the communities we serve. This has been a great partnership and we look forward to the next three years.”
“We are honored to continue working with American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation,” said USA CEO and Executive Director Scott Vance. “The projects our union volunteers have already completed with their support, along with those that will be executed under this new agreement, will benefit local communities for years to come.”
The three-year grant agreement will support the USA’s Work Boots on the Ground (WBG) conservation program, which unites labor union members to complete conservation, public access, education and outreach projects in communities across the country.
The new three-year grant agreement was announced on July 16 at the USA’s Fundraising Gala at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. From left: Fred Myers, American Water vice president of Labor Affairs and AWCF chair; Scott Vance, USA president and CEO; Carrie Williams, AWCF president; Forrest Parker, USA director of Conservation and Community Outreach.
“American Water’s dedication to our shared mission has fueled the completion of a number of critical conservation and community access projects, and their continued support will help us expand our conservation and outreach programs nationwide,” added USA Director of Conservation and Community Outreach Forrest Parker.
Over the past two years, the USA and AWCF have collaborated on a series of projects to improve public facilities and enhance access to recreational waters. Their first joint effort resulted in the construction of a large boat storage structure at Harrison Bay State Park in Tennessee, which is used to shelter watercraft available for public use.
The organizations also joined forces to construct a non-motorized boat ramp at Minnie Ha Ha Park in Sunset Hills, Missouri, as well as wheelchair-accessible fishing piers on Griffin Reservoir near Scranton, Pennsylvania, and at Jacobson Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
The funding and volunteer union labor vital to the completion of these and other similar projects has been greatly appreciated by local agencies and municipalities, which in many cases would have put construction and restoration plans on hold due to budget constraints.
The new agreement will finance up to 10 additional projects, each involving the restoration of outdoor recreational sites, the creation of better access to outdoor areas, the enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, or the introduction of new participants to outdoor activities.
The new three-year agreement was initially announced on July 16 at the USA’s Fundraising Gala at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. The program will be administered by American Water’s nonprofit organization, the American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF).
