Indiana American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation supports MAAC Foundation to Inspire Youth for Firefighter and First Responder Careers 

Assisting local organizations and facilities that are elevating the environment has always been an essential part of Indiana American Water’s mission. Recently, the water utility company, through the American Water Charitable Foundation, provided a donation to the MAAC Foundation, an emergency training school based in Valparaiso.

Indiana American Water Operations Manager Justin Mount highlighted what inspired this donation to the MAAC Foundation.

“We partner a lot through our fire departments. We maintain their hydrants and make sure the flow is adequate, so when our first responders go to a scene they’ve got water that’s able to keep the community safe — protecting homes and protecting lives,” Mount said. 

“Every year, we try to find ways to show our appreciation for our fire departments and first responders, and this grant is looking at ways to help those in our service area have the chance to become more involved in the field itself.”

The workforce grant opportunities at Indiana American Water are beneficial for people trying to get into a trade. Firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS), police officers — the grants help level up the skill sets of people in the community. This donation to the MAAC Foundation is significant for the work the organization does in training, recruiting, and developing first responders.

While Mount has worked with the MAAC Foundation before, this marks a new chapter in the partnership the organization has with Indiana American Water.

“This is our first go at it. The MAAC Foundation creates opportunities for our regional fire departments and first responders, so we thought it would be a great partnership,” Mount said.

Through this grant, the MAAC Foundation will be able to directly help out the next generation of first responders. Many people only see Indiana American Water as a regulated water and wastewater utility, but the organization actively works to support local organizations and programs. Within the past year, Indiana American Water, through the American Water Charitable Foundation has supported Northwest Indiana organizations such as the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, the Dunes Learning Center, and contributed over $50,000 to the Red Cross of Northwest Indiana for disaster assistance during the storms that hit the Region this summer.

“The workforce development and STEM grants that have broader opportunities can help out more of the people that we serve,” Mount said. “When we supported the Dunes Learning Center, it allowed the kids to be out in the green space waterways and understand the full cycle of the environment, water, and how it impacts the entire process on the water treatment side. We recently partnered with and donated $30,000 to the American Red Cross in this recent storm effort in addition to the $25,000 provided during the June tornadoes that struck Merrillville. We’re trying to create the largest community impact in our core areas through grants that are available through the Foundation.

Mount and the Indiana American Water team are excited to further explore the partnership with the MAAC Foundation. Finding ways to be engaged and serve the communities aligns with Indiana American Water’s main objective of prioritizing safety – a core value with the company – in everything the team does.

“We had teams running around the clock to find ways to make sure we provided safe, reliable drinking water services during the recent storms. Our team made sure all of our facilities were operational through backup and generating power to make sure homes have water,” Mount said. “Between the work we do, both with our customers and other local organizations, we are proud of the team we have to make it happen.”

Mount is proud of the work of employees, not only in Northwest Indiana, but across the state.  Equally important is not a single community lost water or wastewater service during these historical storms.

For more information on Indiana American Water, you can visit amwater.com/inaw.