CH2M HILL employee donations to Water For People exceed $1.5 million

DENVER — CH2M HILL employees have donated more than $1.5 million to Water For People through the company’s annual Workplace Giving Campaign. The global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm hosted its first Workplace Giving Campaign in 2003 and raised $10,000. The 2013 campaign raised nearly $224,000.

Around the world, 884 million people do not have access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion are without adequate sanitation facilities. Every day, nearly 6,000 people die from water-related illnesses, and the vast majority are children.

“The support of CH2M HILL is unbelievable. You have been with us every step of the way,” said Ned Breslin, Water For People’s chief executive officer. “You are the first company to reach $1.5 million in Workplace Giving Campaign donations, and we can’t thank you enough.”

The donations assist Water For People, an international non-profit based in Denver, fulfill its mission of supporting clean water, improved sanitation, and health and hygiene education programs in 10 developing countries. Funds raised through the 11-year campaign helped Water For People expand operations into five new countries in 2007 and launch its World Water Corps program to monitor program success.

“I’m very proud to work with so many caring individuals,” said CH2M HILL’s Operations Management President Elisa Speranza and co-sponsor of the Workplace Giving Campaign. “The contributions of our employees make a real difference in the life of others around the world through Water For People’s programs.”

Water For People’s mission is “Everyone, Forever,” which means the organization works to ensure that every house, every clinic, and every school in its program areas have access to water. “Forever” means that the local people will eventually operate, maintain, repair, and extend their systems without help from Water For People or any other non-profit organization. In the past two years, Water For People has reached “Everyone” in Chinda, Honduras and Cuchumuela, Bolivia.

Water For People currently works in Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, Malawi, Peru, Rwanda, and Uganda. The non-profit organization has a goal to reach “Everyone” in 30 districts in four countries, home to 30 million people, by 2018.

During this year’s Workplace Giving Campaign, CH2M HILL employees in 15 countries, from the United States and Canada to Saudi Arabia and Italy, participated in office events and donated through payroll deduction and online giving. The Workplace Giving Campaign total is made entirely of employee giving; it does not include corporate donations, sponsorships, in-kind donations, or volunteer time. Beyond the financial support, CH2M HILL employees also lend technical expertise with 15 employees volunteering over the past three years on World Water Corps trips.