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Nestlé Waters North America Honors Five Employees for Community Service Excellence

14 nonprofit organizations join the annual celebration to honor the dedicated volunteers
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Stamford, CT

Nestlé Waters North America today will host its annual “Thanks for Giving” luncheon to commemorate employees’ volunteer efforts and commitment to supporting local communities and organizations. Fourteen local, non-profit organizations, including Americares, American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club of Stamford and United Way, will participate in the celebration.

“Communities across the country are most appreciative to all Nestlé Waters employees for the work they do to make our communities better places to live,” said Stamford’s Mayor David Martin. “I’m certain I can safely speak for mayors across the country when I say that companies like Nestlé Waters and their employee volunteers have an enormous impact on the health and well-being of our communities. Nestlé Waters volunteers get things done, and most importantly, without them many of the services we have come to rely on would not exist. We cannot express our gratitude enough for all of your hard work and dedication.”

The award recipients have collectively dedicated close to 500 volunteer hours in 2016, supporting a variety of charitable and family-friendly events, such as blood drives, food collections, Habitat for Humanity restorations, and park clean ups. Notably, this year the company has added a new award category to recognize volunteer coordinators, a group of 42 employees who organize volunteer efforts at Nestlé Waters plants, ReadyRefreshSM branches and corporate offices. The award recipients are:

  • Volunteer of the Year – John Ongaro, Retail Communications Analyst, Stamford, CT. John spent more than 250 hours volunteering, with 190 hours as a member of the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Department, as well as leadership for the headquarters’ blood drive.
  • Volunteer Leadership Support Award – Jane Bullinger, Regional Sales Director, Buffalo Grove, IL. Jane is committed to giving back to communities across the country, leading events in several locations, including an afternoon spent bowling with Kids in Crisis in Stamford, CT and supporting Hike for KaTREEna with tree planting in New Orleans, LA.
  • Volunteer Coordinator of the Year – Tommy Narvaiz, Zone Sales Development Manager, South Houston, TX. Tommy achieved impressive results during his first year as a coordinator for his ReadyRefresh South Texas zone, recruiting coordinators for each of his zone’s branches and collecting 4,790 pounds of food for its Better Lives Food Drive – surpassing the South Texas zone’s 1,000-pound goal.
  • Volunteer Coordinator of the Year – Shelly Pittman, Plant Administrative Assistant, Poland Spring, Maine. Shelly is deeply committed to her colleagues and making an impact on Company culture. Whether creating a robust Employee Event Calendar or coordinating family-friendly events, she goes above and beyond her role as a coordinator.
  • Outstanding Volunteer Project Support – Jennifer Bayley, Manager, Customer Development, Stamford, CT. Jennifer led the execution of Stamford’s Better Lives Food Drive, providing superior project management skills to hold a successful food collection campaign.

“Our award recipients remind us of how much of a difference one person can make,” said Tim Brown, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Nestlé Waters North America. “This special celebration is our opportunity to say thank you for everything our employees do in support of our communities, especially as volunteers and supporters of disaster and emergency relief projects.”

About Nestlé Waters North America

Nestlé Waters North America provides people with an unrivaled portfolio of bottled waters for healthy hydration. Brands such as Nestlé® Pure Life®, Poland Spring®, Perrier® and have driven Nestlé Waters North America to be the third largest non-alcoholic beverage company by volume in the U.S. Based in Stamford, Connecticut with about 8,500 employees, Nestlé Waters is committed to reducing its environmental footprint across operations. As a natural resource company, Nestlé Waters sustainably manages nearly 50 spring sites, as well as nearly 14,000 acres of watershed as open space. The company is also committed to creating shared value and being a good neighbor in the 140 communities where it operates in the U.S.