Our first day in Flint definitely made an impression on me. After spending the morning assembling rain barrels, some of us went and delivered them. This was when I truly began making connections with the hardships the people of Flint were facing. The first house we went to was the Jones’, and they absolutely opened my eyes to the issue of the water crisis on a whole new level. Mrs. Jones told us about how they had seen the water brown for years and had heard their leaders continuously claim that it was safe to drink. They talked about how some people were still in the dark on the issue and how, for a long time, many who knew about the situation didn’t have the option of going and buying clean water. Despite this, the Jones’ were still exceptionally positive, cracking jokes throughout the time we were there and welcoming us into their garden as well as telling us all about their situation. Seeing Mrs. Jones’ passion for her community as well as the way she kept a smile on her face and turned to her faith as fuel to keep positive was such an inspiration. We went on to three more houses, each with their own stories and situations. It was an incredibly eye opening experience and I can’t wait to see what the next two days hold for us.
– Sabrina Rodriguez
