Exceptional support from a Canberra Icon
15 June 2020
We have been overwhelmed by the incredible generosity of local organisations in helping us deliver emergency relief to those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.
One of these amazing organisations is Icon Water, which has chipped in $15,000 so that we can provide affordable, safe and supportive accommodation for women and their children.
We spoke to Davina McCormick, General Manager Customer Engagement at Icon Water, about what the organisation is doing during this crisis.
“Icon Water has been providing water and wastewater services to Canberra for over 100 years and we pride ourselves on being an integral member of the community,” Davina said.
“We feel a great sense of responsibility in providing an essential service to the community and this underpins every decision we make.”
Icon Water’s Community Support Program provides financial and in-kind assistance to organisations that provide valuable support services and programs to the Canberra community. Given the organisation’s focus on increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and commitment to supporting and empowering women, sponsoring YWCA Canberra’s emergency housing development fund was a perfect fit.
“We recognise the ongoing work that YWCA does for women and girls in Canberra across many different critical issues including homelessness, domestic violence, youth work and childhood services. We’re proud to be able to offer our assistance to help the YWCA and other local organisations so they can continue to provide these vital services to Canberrans in need.”
“The value of having a safe home has never been more visible than right now, and we want to provide our support to ensure Canberra’s most vulnerable have access to safe and affordable living options.”
This isn’t all Icon Water is doing to help people who are struggling financially due to the impact of the current pandemic. Icon Water is now offering flexible payment extensions or payments plans from short to long term arrangements. It also has the Staying Connected program which helps people who are struggling to pay their bills to get back on their feet.
“We recently made some changes to our hardship program due to the pandemic, to also include small businesses who may need financial assistance as well,” Davina said.
And the organisation also decided to temporarily suspend the charging of additional interest on accounts that become overdue throughout the pandemic.
If you need help with your water bills, you can call Icon Water on 6248 3111 or go to iconwater.com.au/hardship.
If you or someone you know needs extra assistance as a result of the pandemic, YWCA Canberra has a range of support types available to Canberra region community members.
For more information, please contact YWCA Canberra on (02) 6185 2000 or housing@ywca-canberra.org.au or our Mura Lanyon Youth and Community Centre on (02) 6185 2090 or mlycc.manager@ywca-canberra.org.au
Tags: Canberra Community, Donation, Partner