by Chani the Hippie
Flint, Michigan has been in the news for the past 2 years because their whole water supply is filled with lead-contaminated water. People in Flint are not able to drink, cook with, shower with, or do anything with the water. Millions of dollars have been donated, millions of water bottles have been sent, but no solutions have resulted in fixing the problem. People are still bathing with bottled water, and unable to get a simple drink from their faucet. Without clean water boiling noodles cannot even happen.
The city received $27 million in aid from the state in order to replace the thousands of the corroding pipes, but only about 200 have been replaced so far. Many blame the slow process on how the money must be spent, and how contract bidding has to go when using government money. Others blame the state's slow process to help on the lack of empathy of state leaders to the people of Flint. Flint was declared to be in a state of emergency just last year, but a year before that people had started complaining about the water after the city made the switch away from Detroit's water supply. It took the state far too much time before they finally started to help.
People in Flint feel forgotten and say they will be running out of donated water bottles soon, and are beyond weary after going so much time without clean water. Amidst all of the present angst in Flint they are faced with an outbreak of an infectious bacterial disease Shigellosis, which causes bloody diarrhea. The disease is caused by people not washing their hands. Something so simple as washing your hands is almost impossible to do safe in the city and people are now getting sick over it.
The people of Flint have been faced with dehydration, malnourishment, disease, and despair in result of the water crisis and the state of Michigan and its leaders have not worked hard or fast enough to get this city out of its third-world like problem. Flint's citizens are still using bottled water and faulty water filters hoping that the people they elected and the tax dollars they have paid will finally work to their benefit. Flint still needs help. Here are some credible organizations you can donate to:
- United Way of Genessee County's Flint Water Fund
- Community Foundation of Greater Flint's Flint Child Health and Development Fund
or those wanted to host their own donation drive for Flint - Read these guidelines for donations
