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| Convoy of Hope, a faith-based, not-for-profit, has been at the forefront of providing free bottled water and food in Flint, Michigan. |
By Joshua M. Hicks
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| Workers unload case after case of bottled water in the parking lot of the Greater Holy Temple Church of God In Christ on a snowy day in Flint from morning well into afternoon. |
FLINT, Mich.—On a spring Saturday,
around 11 a.m., snow fell from the sky, piling up on the streets. Vehicles
idled around The Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, like parking for
an Easter morning service.
Workers moved vigorously to create
packages to give to those who lined up. The process was frustrating, upsetting,
and inspiring for some workers. However, the main word summing up the
activities in the church’s parking lot and across Flint was “survival.”
A mother of three, Terraca Rogers’
said her children developed rashes that sometimes discolored their skin. At the
time they all were tested, the doctors couldn’t determine the problem, the
mother said, although she suspects that the
poisoned water is to blame.
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“I was really trying to stop myself from crying…I have never seen this kind of love from all over the country.”—Sandra Jones
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For the Rogers family, hope—and their survival—comes in the form of a bottle of water. And that water is being delivered these days by countless volunteers who travel to Flint from around the country each weekend. Among them: Convoy of Hope.
In fact, Convoy of Hope partnered
with CNN to assist in the recent water distribution event.
Founded in 1994, Convoy of Hope is
a faith-based, non-profit organization that has helped more than 70 million
people throughout the world by sharing food, water, emergency supplies,
agricultural know-how, and opportunities that empower people to live
independent lives, free from poverty, disease and hunger, according to its
officials.
Molly Erickson, director of Convoy
of Hope’s public relations, explained that their work in Flint is based on
giving hope to families in need.
“It is easy for us to go Tanzania
or a Third World country to see unclean water,” Erickson said. “For this to
happen in our backyard, it is scary.”
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| Volunteers give food and bottled water to what can seem like a never ending trail of motorists who visit the Greater Holy Temple Church of God In Christ parking lot that is converted each weekend into a makeshift water distribution center. |
Since January, Convoy of Hope has
delivered 26 truckloads of water, which gave enough clean water to fulfill
1,000 families, according to the organization. Convoy of Hope also has gathered
hundreds of volunteers to help work at the church to hand out bottles of water
and small food products to affected families.
James Emmerling, who was born and
raised in Flint, was one of the volunteers who recently assisted with water
distribution in the parking lot of Greater Holy Temple Church. He reflected on
the crisis and also on what inspired him
to volunteer.
“It has been sad to see how this
type of thing can happen here in America,” Emmerling said. “It is just hard to
grasp. To think that this kind of thing happens is kind of Third World. You
just do not expect that here.”
Like Emmerling, others here said
they see dedicating their time to help those impacted by the water crisis in
Flint as a way to put “hope” into action and also as an opportunity to do
community service.
Indeed trucks filled with bottled
water and small produce were delivered and donated from all across the world to
the people of Flint with Greater Holy Temple used as a distribution point. In
the church’s parking lot, some volunteers carried crates of bottled water from
place to place, while other volunteers delivered water and food baskets to
families as motorist after motorist entered the lot.
Heather Jakeway, who helped create
food produce packages to give to the families, described how she became
interested in the effort.
“My gym 801 CrossFit asked our
group to come out as a whole. And out of all the locations, I chose this one,”
Jakeway said, adding that 801 CrossFit and Reebok helped sponsor some of the
water and food that was distributed.
Betsy Schumacher, a friend of
Jakeway, assisted her in creating the food baskets that were delivered to
families. She said she was happy to volunteer and do a good deed.
“Seeing the looks on people’s faces
when we give them water and things that they don’t have access to is great. It
is awesome,” Schumacher said.
Schumacher expressed shock at the
number of people who turned out to help volunteer. Jakeway, however, expressed
a more personal impact. A mother herself, she said she saw babies in the
vehicles of some families as they picked up food and water.
“How would I feel if they were my
kids and I knew I couldn’t drink the water or bathe in the water—and, on top of
that, have been lied to by the city for two years?” Jakeway said. “It is
personal.”
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| CNN Anchor Don Lemon lends a hand during a visit to Flint.
Lemon was in town for the Democratic Presidential Debate in
March.
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It was “personal” as well for CNN
news anchor Don Lemon who attended the water distribution before his
preparation for the Democratic Debate at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Lemon said that the water crisis hasn’t gotten enough media attention.
Asked why he was volunteering, he answered,
“Where else would I be? Why would I come to do a debate and leave?” Lemon
added. “I wanted to come earlier but unfortunately, or fortunately, I have a
job to do every day. When I found I was coming here, I realized this was my
opportunity,” Lemon said.
Clear on a snowy Saturday in March,
where Lemon joined dozens of volunteers, was that the community within Flint
and beyond has come together to help people weather the crisis.
Sandra Jones, 68, who supervised
the volunteers and also is the pastor’s wife, said she was not just happy to
assist in the movement but also overwhelmed to see how much love is being fully
demonstrated in the community.
“I was really trying to stop myself
from crying,” Jones said. “This is what it is all about. I have never seen this
kind of love from all over the country.”
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| Sandra Jones, the First Lady of Greater Holy Temple Church of God In Christ, directs volunteers and traffic one Saturday in March during water distribution. Her husband, Bishop Roger L. Jones, is the church's pastor. |
