SJW, California Water Association Team up with Senator Dave Cortese and Assemblymember Evan Low to Donate Thanksgiving Meals

[San Jose, CA - November 17, 2021] — In the face of continued economic hardship this year, San Jose Water (SJW) is making sure residents in the greater San Jose area can still enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with the donation of 100 Safeway gift cards to Amigos de Guadalupe on behalf of California State Senator Dave Cortese, and 100 Safeway gift cards to the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center on behalf of California Assemblymember Evan Low.

California Water Association (CWA) established the Operation Gobble program with the purpose of partnering water utilities with non-profit organizations across the state to donate frozen turkeys to families facing hardship. Due to continued COVID-19 restrictions, SJW is going the route of grocery gift cards to ensure families can personally select their Thanksgiving food items.

“We are excited to participate in CWA’s Operation Gobble and know the holidays can be tough for many in our local communities. Our goal is to provide a helping hand year-round — making a positive impact on the health and wellness in the communities where we live, work and serve,” stated Andrew Gere, President and COO. “We appreciate the partnerships with our elected officials and community organizations to make the holidays a little brighter for those most in need.”

Gere will personally deliver the gift cards to State Senator Cortese, who represents District 15 encompassing most of Santa Clara County, and State Assemblymember Low, who represents District 28 in Silicon Valley.

“Thank you to San Jose Water for bringing us together to create a wave of generosity that will uplift the non-profits serving our community. I am proud to recognize the work of Amigos de Guadalupe that is making a difference and providing critical services in our most underserved areas, including health counseling, housing support, and youth leadership programs,” said Senator Cortese.

“Our community has come such a long way from where we were a year ago, but the cost of living in our area combined with the toll of the pandemic continues to affect so many of our residents,” Assemblymember Low said. “I want to thank San Jose Water and the California Water Association for their generous donations as we try and give a hand up to families in need during the holiday season.” 

Gere and both elected officials will meet at 3:30 pm Thursday, November 18, 2021 at San Jose Water headquarters located at 110 W. Taylor Street in San Jose, for an exchange of the gift cards.

About San Jose Water

Founded in 1866, San Jose Water is an investor-owned public utility, and is one of the largest and most technically sophisticated urban water systems in the United States. Serving over one million people in the greater San Jose metropolitan area, San Jose Water also provides services to other utilities including operations and maintenance, billing, and backflow testing. San Jose Water is owned by SJW Group, a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SJW. SJW Group also owns: Connecticut Water Company in Connecticut; Maine Water Company in Maine; and SJWTX, Inc. (dba Canyon Lake Water Service Company) in Texas. To learn more about San Jose Water, visit www.sjwater.com.

Contact Information

Liann Walborsky

Director of Corporate Communications, San Jose Water

408-918-7247, liann.walborsky@sjwater.com