Excerpts from DNAinfo.com:
When Chicago Firefighter Eric Washington got wind of the water crisis in Flint, Mich., he thought of his own childhood growing up in Jeffery Manor on the Far South Side: Both are predominantly black communities that are too often deprived of essential resources.
That empathy is what led Washington to step in and get involved, pledging to collect 1,500 cases of bottled water to donate to the Michigan city, which has been plagued by lead-contaminated drinking water for almost two years.
Washington is asking fellow Chicagoans to drop off donations at Hyde Park Academy High School, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave., on Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. He plans to drive a truck packed with clean water from Chicago to Flint the next day and drop the cases off to Flint’s First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.
For those who can’t make it to Woodlawn or would rather contribute monetarily, Washington started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $2,000, which can buy 7,500 bottles.
Washington first reached out to Catrina Tillman, the Flint church’s first lady (pastor’s wife) to see how he could help. Tillman says that Chicagoans have gone far and above in order to help them in their hour of need.
Washington said he initially got the word out through a series of Facebook posts. He’s been overwhelmed by the support he has gotten thus far. So far, he’s collected 130 cases of water to help the residents of Flint.
“Those people are getting sick from that water. They can’t bathe themselves. They can’t wash their clothes,” Washington said. “We have people within reach that are struggling. I definitely don’t mind taking a trip up to Flint to help those people out.”
thanks Dennis
