On Saturday, February 20 in Ferguson – the city that sparked a global conversation about the broken relationship between the black community and law enforcement – hundreds of residents showed up to donate thousands of cases of water to Flint, Michigan.
The predominately African-American metropolitan area has been in the headlines in recent months as they face a contaminated water crisis due to short-sighted – and, some allege, criminal – decisions made by state government officials.
Pubic response to the drive – a collaborative effort by Project Compassion NFP, Radio One St. Louis, The Korey Johnson Foundation and Beyond Limits – was overwhelming.
“There has been a negative cloud over the St. Louis region for the last couple of years,” said Chesley Waddell, promotions director for Radio One St. Louis. “It felt so great to see that there is good here and people care about their neighbors – and people in a state that many have never been to.”
Just feet from where protestors were once arrested, the parking lot of the shopping center that houses Milano’s Menswear looked like a bottled water warehouse. A truck and a flatbed were full by early afternoon. Cases upon cases were stacked in sections. Cars lined up to make water deposits.
“Two things went through my head,” said Rachel Jackson of Belleville-based Project Compassion, who spearheaded the drive. “The first was: oh my God, where are we going to put all of this water?’ The second was: sometimes all it takes is one person getting started for others to step up.”
Jackson posted her idea for the water drive on LinkedIn, and Waddell reached out on behalf of Radio One St. Louis.
“It was something that aligned perfectly with the national mission of Radio One, which is serving and giving back to the community,” said Gary Gunter, vice president of Radio One St. Louis. “Although Flint is outside of the St. Louis, it’s still part of our African-American community.”
Jackson reached out to Korey Johnson, and the group set out with the initial goal of 1,000 cases of water to fill a truck that Beyond Limits volunteered to provide.
Radio One said that more than 7,000 cases were received, but Johnson and Jackson said it was more like 10,000.
“St. Louis citizens who listen to 95.5 and 104.1, they showed up and showed out,” Johnson said.
Jackson said that Wal-Mart and Sam’s directly across from the drive sold out of bottled water.
“We had some giveaways, but this was not incentive-based,” said A-Plus, afternoon personality for Radio One St. Louis’ hip-hop station Hot 104.1 FM. “People came here today to give, not get.”
The on-air personality was pressed into duty helping unload water from cars and onto one of the trucks.
“No one complained or got upset because they had to move the water,” Waddell said. “Everybody was out there doing it.”
In addition to the cohesiveness of everyone working together, Jackson said she was touched by the personalized notes some taped to cases of water they donated.
“They said things like ‘We love you Flint, or ‘We’re praying for you Flint,” Jackson said. “It was truly an outpouring of love.”
The work is not over. They still need people to help prepare and pack the water. Volunteers are needed beginning at 8 a.m. this Saturday, February 27 at the Dellwood Recreation Center, 10266 West Florissant Ave. Visit www.koreyjohnsonfoundation.com for more information.
