KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The trucks were loaded and ready to go. After a week-long bottled water drive at Mount Zion church, hosted by the Northside Ministerial Alliance and the City of Kalamazoo, cases upon cases of water were driven to Flint.
“The community has rallied in a phenomenal way,” said Dr. Addis Moore, president of NMA. “People have come from all over just to load the water.”
There was a flurry of activity at the church on Roberson street. Over 60 volunteers — church members, police officers, community officials, men, women, black, white, old and young — came together to load two U-Hauls and a heavy-duty truck with over 2,000 cases of bottled water and over 100 gallons. They formed two human conveyor belts, hoisting the heavy cases one by one and passing them down the line and into one of the trucks.
“When people come together we can never fathom how great its going to be,” said Moore of the volunteers who laughed and joked with one another throughout the morning. “I knew it was going to be great but this exceeds my expectations.”
The trucks drove two hours east to three different locations in Flint. Dr. Moore use to work in there and said he’s been in touch with a few pastors in that community. Once the cases were delivered, residents affected by the water crisis picked up as much water as they need.
“I think it really galvanizes a community,” said Moore. “Galvanizes us to the point where we actually can do something to actually solve a human problem.”
