New York’s doctors, nurses, food banks and firefighters are just some of the many front-line groups battling the coronavirus pandemic. First responders are essential to the fight and to the fabric of the communities they serve.
Con Edison and its employees are their neighbors and recognize their service. The energy company and its thousands of employees have donated money, personal protective equipment, and utility services, and launched initiatives to assist community nonprofits throughout the five boroughs and Westchester County.
“These heroes are people we know, and they need our help,” said John McAvoy, CEO and chairman of Con Edison. “Our employees are also on the frontline maintaining essential electric, gas and steam services. By doing our jobs other first responders can do their work.”
The donations include:
· More than $300,000 to nonprofit organizations dedicated to feeding New Yorkers.
· A donation of $50,000 to the NYC Healthcare Heroes Fund to provide food, household cleaning and personal care products for health-care professionals.
· Employees have contributed more than $100,000 to various groups since March 1, and those donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by Con Edison.
· More than $40,000 to assist local police and fire departments and USO foundations.
· Employees at a Con Edison machine shop in the Van Nest section of the Bronx manufactured more than 40,000 plastic face shields. That essential equipment has been donated to health-care workers in Westchester.
· The company has donated nearly 100,000 N95 masks for health-care workers.
Con Edison crews also ran electricity lines to emergency hospitals in Central Park, at the Westchester County Center, and a drive-through testing center in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
“This pandemic has changed all aspects of our lives,” said McAvoy. “But it can’t shake our character and our grit.”
Con Edison is a unit of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $58 billion in assets. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam to 3.4 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y.
