Stockbridge based non-profit to donate thousands of bottles of clean water to Jackson amid water crisis
Metro Atlanta residents helping out amid Jackson water crisis
Crews have restored water in Jackson, Mississippi after flooding knocked out the city's water plant. However it's still unclear when residents will have reliable drinking water. That's where one metro Atlanta organization is stepping up to help.
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. - While thousands of Jackson, Mississippi residents are without clean water, some groups in Metro Atlanta have joined the relief effort amid the city’s ongoing water crisis.
Life Beyond Water, a Stockbridge-based nonprofit, is a 501c3 focused on helping people in areas without access to clean water. The organization is partnering with several groups like New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and the Deion Sanders Foundation to bring more than 20 truck loads of clean water to those without it.
"We want to be able to be a blessing in this trying time," Life Beyond Water Founder Melissa Ellis told Fox 5.
With boil water adversaries still in place due to contamination in its supply and low water pressure, she said they’re trying to get clean water to homes as soon as Wednesday.
"The citizens have been failed by their elected officials, their own government…they have not had water to homes, no water for fires…any of that," she explained.
Ellis said the goal is to send almost a million bottles to the city over the next two weeks with 150,000 expected to reach the city by Wednesday.
"We’re up to about 25 truckloads of water going into Jackson. The first truck has already (taken off)…we have our first distribution this Wednesday," she said.
Ellis also said with residents having some access to water now, they plan to shift their focus to installing water filters in as many homes as they can.
"We can place that water filter, and it’ll filter about 500 gallons of water a day," she added.
Ellis said this isn’t the first time her organization has been to the predominantly Black city due to issues with their water supply.
"We were there last year when winter storm Uri came through and everybody’s attention was on Houston, but nobody said anything about Jackson," she stated.
While they hope the water they’re bringing will provide some relief, Ellis told Fox 5 she believes the water crisis is part of a larger discussion about equity in access to clean water.
Ellis said Life Beyond Water has two distribution events planned for Wednesday and Saturday in Jackson. You can find more information on how to get involved, volunteer or donate by visiting the Life Beyond Water website.