Please join faith leaders and faith communities around Pennsylvania in endorsing the Clean Water for the Woodlands fund drive.
Imagine living without clean water. Imagine living in a house where drinking a glass of water from the tap or taking a shower or even flushing a toilet are activities too risky to attempt. Now imagine living without potable water not for days or weeks or even months, but for five years.
That is precisely the plight of families in towns and rural communities across the shale fields of Pennsylvania where modern oil and gas drilling techniques have turned them into industrialized wastelands. The problem is particularly acute in an area of Butler County, where fracking fouled well water of several dozen families in a community called the Woodlands six years ago. To date, families in the Woodlands still rely on a weekly donation of 20 gallons of clean water for drinking, cooking, and brushing their teeth, which they receive from volunteers operating a water bank at the nearby White Oak Springs Presbyterian Church. This falls far short of what the American Red Cross considers the minimum required for an emergency – two gallons per person per day.
This project will provide much-needed financial support to volunteer efforts in the Woodlands to supply the affected families with clean water. One hundred percent of the money raised will go toward purchasing water for the Woodlands Community. It will also show decision-makers in Harrisburg that Pennsylvania’s faith community is mobilizing to advocate for communities like the Woodlands, which they are actively neglecting.
Prior to launching this fundraiser, we are circulating a letter urging Pennsylvanians to acknowledge these families and take on the responsibility of providing water for the Woodlands. Please join faith leaders and faith communities around the state by signing our letter here:
http://bit.ly/waterforwoodlands
Consider sharing with your networks and faith communities. Thank-you.
Leave a Reply