In response to this crisis the Rotary Club of Flint, in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Genesee County (District 6330/Area 7,) is promoting a comprehensive effort in which Rotary Clubs and individual Rotarians can be of support through a four pronged approach; club level donations to the Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation, individual donations to the Flint Child Health & Development Fund, and dissemination of information regarding material donations and opportunities to volunteer. Please click on the "Read more" link below for more details.
Thank you for your interest in supporting the citizens of Flint during the present water emergency. While the crisis is now national news, work has been taking place on the ground for many months. The systems are now in place to begin to address the immediate needs of families impacted by this emergency. Currently there are 5 fire stations and many churches and community partners that are points of access for families needing water and water filters. Bottled water and filters are also being delivered door to door by National Guard and local volunteers. The local Non- Governmental Agencies are well positioned to process the intake and distribution of the donations of water and water filters that are pouring into the community due to incredibly generous local, state and national individuals and organizations.
On January 16th, President Obama declared a federal emergency thereby allowing Flint and Genesee County to be eligible for additional resources to assist families with short term needs as well as addressing the long term infrastructure concerns. We are hopeful that this will allow the community access to programs, loans and funds that otherwise would not be available.
The challenge that we face as a community is the long term impact of the months of unaddressed exposure to lead experienced by our community’s children. According to the CDC, “No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. And effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected.”
Experts are now stating that all children who drank the city's water since April 2014 have been exposed to lead, regardless of their current blood lead levels. These tests only measure lead currently in the blood and does not accurately measure exposure. Blood lead levels decrease after 30 days as lead is distributed throughout the body, primarily to bones, teeth and soft tissue. Lead accumulates in the body over time and blood-lead tests do not measure the overall lead burden in the body.
This translates to 8,657 children under age 6 in Flint that have been exposed to lead (based on Census data.) This number could be much higher in that it does not account for exposure to babies whose mothers drank the water during their pregnancy and those that were exposed but do not reside in the city.
The Rotary Club of Flint in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Genesee County (District 6330/Area 7) is encouraging fellow Rotary Clubs and Rotarians to consider supporting efforts in the following four ways:
- Club level donations can be made to the Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation. These funds will be utilized to support water related efforts in the Flint area. If you would like to make a donation to the Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation online via PayPal to support the club's efforts, you can do so here:
- Individual Rotarians are encouraged to donate to The Flint Child Health & Development Fund which was established at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint to support the delivery of critical public health, medical, and community-based services and interventions that address and mitigate the short and long term impacts experienced by Flint, Michigan families exposed to lead as the result of the 2014-2016 Flint Water Crisis.
- Individuals wishing to make materials donations of water or other items can do so through one of the established distribution sites. The site for donations is dependent on the size of the donation.
- People wishing to volunteer can report directly to the Red Cross (1401 S Grand Traverse St, Flint, MI 48503) or can register as an individual or group at www.flintvolunteer.com.
If you would like a PDF version of the entirety of this information, you can find a downloadable version to the left of the page.
Thank you for your offers of support during these challenging times. The outpouring of support from Rotarians all across the country has been heartening and greatly appreciated!
Yours in service,
Amy Krug
President 2015-2016
Rotary Club of Flint
Rotary Club of Flint
Rotary Response to the Flint Water Emergency
The Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation
The Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation is an existing fund that’s purpose is to implement and finance charitable and educational service projects of the Rotary Club of Flint, Michigan.
Clubs wishing to make contributions send checks payable to the Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation to 2481 Delwood Dr, Clio, MI 48420
If you would like to make a donation to the Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation online via PayPal to support the club's efforts, you can do so here:
Flint Child Health & Development Fund www.flintkid.org
The Flint Child Health & Development Fund supports the delivery of critical public health, medical and community-based services and interventions that address and mitigate the short and long term impacts experienced by Flint, Michigan families exposed to lead as the result of the 2014-2016 Flint Water Crisis.
The Flint Child Health & Development Fund supports charitable organizations that provide aid to children and families with interventions that support positive health outcomes. “If there was ever a time to invest in our children, it is now. Our Flint children deserve every opportunity to be healthy and successful. The creation of this Fund will further ensure that our children are afforded the resources and interventions to overcome this population-wide exposure to lead,” according to Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha.
Donations can be made online at www.flintkids.org, by phone 810-767-8270 or by check mailed to Community Foundation of Greater Flint, 500 S. Saginaw Street, Suite 200, Flint, Michigan 48502.
Material Donation Details
Material and in-kind donations of cases of water bottles, gallon jugs and larger containers of water can be dropped off at the below locations.
- Donations of 100 cases or less:
Catholic Charities Center for Hope, 517 E. Fifth Ave, Flint
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Red Cross, 1401 Grand Traverse, Flint
Saturday – Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Donations of 100 cases or more, pallets of water or donations in one semi-truck:
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, 2300 Lapeer Rd., Flint
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For extra-large donations, such as multiple semi-trucks, delivery arrangements can be made by emailing Janet Hunter at hunterj8@michigan.gov .
In-kind donations include labor to install filters and trucks to deliver materials. All in-kind donors should contact Janet Hunter at hunterj8@michigan.gov .
Volunteer Details www.flintvolunteer.com
The United Way, American Red Cross, Michigan Community Service Commission, and a growing list of partners have come together to create the Flint Volunteer Reception Center. The purpose of the Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) is to leverage the partner agencies’ expertise in recruiting and managing volunteers to help fill the needs of government agencies, community partners, and local stakeholders.
By directing volunteers through the VRC, managing agencies are able to use volunteers in the most efficient way possible. Since the VRC is a central point of contact for all volunteers and those needing volunteers, urgent staffing needs can be quickly addressed and directed to the appropriate location.
In order to get the right people to the right place, the VRC is able to match the needs of the disaster with the abilities of the volunteers. The www.flintvolunteer.com site allows individuals and groups to register for volunteer opportunities and get additional information about what to expect and what to bring. Volunteer opportunities may range from putting together water test kits to delivery of water door to door. The overall goal is to get volunteers out the door to help people as quickly and efficiently as possible.
By directing volunteers through the VRC, managing agencies are able to use volunteers in the most efficient way possible. Since the VRC is a central point of contact for all volunteers and those needing volunteers, urgent staffing needs can be quickly addressed and directed to the appropriate location.
In order to get the right people to the right place, the VRC is able to match the needs of the disaster with the abilities of the volunteers. The www.flintvolunteer.com site allows individuals and groups to register for volunteer opportunities and get additional information about what to expect and what to bring. Volunteer opportunities may range from putting together water test kits to delivery of water door to door. The overall goal is to get volunteers out the door to help people as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Volunteers are also welcome on a walk in basis at the American Red Cross located at 1401 S Grand Traverse, Flint.