California American Water Teams up with State Senator Darrell Steinberg and Assemblymember Roger Dickinson for “Operation Gobble”

California American Water:

California State Senator Darrell Steinberg, State Assemblymember Roger Dickinson and California American Water will provide more than 900 turkeys to local non-profits as part of the 21st annual “Operation Gobble” program.

The turkeys will be distributed on Nov. 22 at the Firehouse Community Center in Sacramento. Assemblymember Roger Dickinson along with representatives from Senator Steinberg’s office will be present to assist in the operation.

“During these challenging economic times, there are many families throughout California that are struggling to meet even their most basic needs,” said Senator Darrell Steinberg. “That is why I am proud to work with our local non-profit partners to help us provide more than 900 Sacramento families with a Thanksgiving meal.”

The turkeys were provided below cost by Save Mart Supermarkets and will benefit numerous causes throughout the Sacramento area.

“Operation Gobble pairs the purchasing power of local businesses who generously donate the turkeys, with the local expertise of non-profits within my district to ensure effective distribution to families most in need,” said Assemblymember Roger Dickinson. “Through these partnerships, we hope to bring some relief to those facing food insecurity this Thanksgiving holiday.”

Assemblymember Dickinson will also provide more than 7,000 canned goods to the operation obtained through a food drive between the sate legislature and local students. The drive pitted Sacramento area 5th graders against legislators to see who could collect more canned foods in a friendly competition called “Can you collect more cans than a 5th grader?” Students from Bannon Creek Elementary School, Leonardo da Vinci School and Theodore Judah Elementary School won the contest easily by collecting 5,031 cans. This combined with the nearly 2,000 cans collected by the legislature and a generous donation from Del Monte Foods resulted in an impressive contribution that will feed hundreds of families.

“Operation Gobble” is a joint charitable venture between California water companies and local state legislators and is set to deliver an estimated 30,000 turkeys to under-privileged families throughout the state this Thanksgiving holiday. First begun in 1990, the unique program pairs the local knowledge of state legislators with the resources of the private sector to benefit those in need.

During the program, participating investor-owned water companies like California American Water provide turkeys and transportation in partnership with local elected officials who offer local expertise in directing the donations to community food banks, churches and other non-profit organizations.

“California American Water has more than 80 employees who live and work here in Sacramento,” said California American Water Northern Division General Manager Andy Soule. “This program is an opportunity for us to give back to our customers, our neighbors and our families.”

According to the latest study of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research on hunger, 2.9 million Californians lack sufficient resources to feed themselves on a regular basis. Many of these residents are low income families that will not be able to afford a Thanksgiving meal. Thanks to the efforts of California American Water, State Senator Steinberg, Assemblymember Dickinson and our non-profit partners, many Sacramento families will now have a Thanksgiving meal this holiday season.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source to tap. To learn more, visit www.amwater125.com.