Bottled Water Donations In Flint, Michigan Dramatically Dwindle

Bottled Water Donations In Flint, Michigan Dramatically Dwindle

Less than a year into Flint, Michigan’s lead poisoning emergency, donations for bottled water have decreased dramatically over the city according to ABC 12:

ABC12 has learned the state has been supplying the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan with about 40,000 cases of bottled water a week, for months.

“Well it certainly is like night and day,” said Bill Kerr, president of the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.

Kerr says at the peak of the crisis in January, people from around the country were sending money and truckloads of bottles.

Kerr says at the time, they were able to fill up to 50 semis a week with bottled water, delivering it out to churches, community centers and other sites. Now, he says donations have drastically gone down, averaging seven semis a week going out.

Kerr says this happens all over the country as time passes following a disaster – people not directly affected start to forget.

“You know, we’re not at the peak of the media’s attention right now and you know, quite honestly, the water in the state it is, where the water is drinkable in Flint now as long as you use filters, there is less need in some peoples’ eyes for bottled water. We will continue to supply water to the community as long as it’s needed,” Kerr said.

Bishop Roger Lee Jones, the head of Greater Holy Temple Church of Christ in God, called a press conference Wednesday to address the issue of donations going down.

He says especially in the last couple weeks, bottled water donations at the church have decreased.

Please don’t forget about Flint, Michigan!!!!!