By Kurt Nagl | knagl@mlive.com
This article originally appeared on MLive.
February 3, 2015
FLINT, MI – Flint residents struggling to pay water bills and those with questions concerning Flint water will get a chance this Friday to talk to organizations that can help.
A water fair is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. at the Catholic Charities Center for Hope, 517 E. Fifth Avenue. The event is being organized by the city of Flint, Catholic Charities, United Way of Genesee County, Salvation Army, Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and Home Depot.
Mayor Dayne Walling said the fair will aim to reconnect the Flint community with its water system.
“The focus will be on needy families who don’t have running water,” Walling said. “We want to reconnect people with the system and begin to address the water need.”
Jamie Gaskin, CEO of United Way of Genesee County, said he receives calls every day about problems paying water bills, and complaints continue to increase.
“We can’t help everybody,” Gaskin said. “We are looking to help the most vulnerable people keep their water flowing.”
About 2,000 cases of water will be distributed at the event, with two cases going to each family.
In addition, the United Way, Catholic Charities and Salvation Army will provide residents with information about receiving help paying water bills. Representatives from the city will be there to offer advice on how to pay the bills.
Home Depot will also be on hand to demonstrate the function and uses of different water filters.
Walling said the water fair will be different than previous events that focused only on giving away free water.
The organizations will learn from the first water fair, Gaskin said, and then hopefully spread it further around the community.
“The water problem has illustrated a number of weaknesses in the city,” Walling said. “The city recognizes that people need access to water every day.”