Recently, there has been a tragic occurrence in Flint, Michigan that involves their water supply being contaminated with lead. This is a problem most obviously because water is essential to live! So…what can we do? Often, we hear about these events taking place nationwide and know that those people need help but aren’t sure exactly how to personally contribute. The John Carroll community has noticed this problem and student-led organizations are currently in the process of sending help.
JCU senior, Dan Volpe has reached out to his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, as well as the African American Alliance and the Environmental Issues Group on campus to figure out an immediate plan of action to help the citizens in Michigan without clean water. In a recent press release, Dan explained his interest in the topic of clean water and how he reached out to his fraternity brothers to help him in his endeavors.
The official name of the plan is “Operation Hydration” and it involves the transportation of water from John Carroll University to Flint, MI on the weekend of March 12th. As this operation has been in motion, members of these three organizations have reached out to neighboring universities on the route to Flint to seek any help that is willing to be given. Also, any donations are being taking by both Dan (dvolpe16@jcu.edu) and Monica Angelotti of the Environmental Issues Group (mangelotti17@jcu.edu) because every little bit helps.
This plan of action is proof that any single person can make a difference because, if it were not for Dan’s interest in the cleanliness of water, this course of action may never have been acted upon. With that said, it is important is realizing that lead contamination is an issue in several places aside from Flint, MI. To fix, or at least help this issue, talk to your local health department and keep your house clean! Keeping everything clean including floors and hands will prevent lead from getting in your home. Even if your water supply is clean, lead contamination might be a problem in other areas of your life. It is important to do some research and make sure this isn’t an issue in your life because it can cause health problems. Overall, we are so excited to see JCU and neighboring universities carry out Operation Hydration and our thoughts go out to all victims in Michigan!