About Us:

Many residents in Flint still have little or no information regarding the danger of drinking tap water, or how to access and utilize safe drinking water and other resources available to them. Many residents have fallen through the cracks - some are unable to leave their homes due to disability, some do not have plumbing systems that will accommodate the provided filters, many have limited English language proficiency or low literacy levels.

Crossing Water is working with multiple community-based stakeholders, local, state, and federal agencies, state-wide nonprofit and advocacy groups, and volunteers from around the state to ensure that ALL residents have access to safe drinking water, information on how to access and utilize resources, and access to medical care. We have designed, developed, and implemented a new model for emergency response and crisis-intervention scenarios in large urban settings. We have created and are currently deploying Rapid Response Service Teams (RRST) to the hardest hit and most underserved neighborhoods and communities in Flint to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals and families get the critical assistance and relief they need within the shortest period of time possible. Our teams are interdisciplinary units comprised of social workers, EMTs, RNs, plumbers, and other technicians who can be activated onsite with a call from our Operations Center.

To address the broad lack of information sharing, we have created over 22 billboards on display throughout the Flint area in English and Spanish. We’ve also given PSAs on local radio and TV stations and distributed 15,000 flyers in low-income neighborhoods to educate people about lead contamination and available resources. Based on our interactions with households, we update our mass communication efforts to directly combat the most common informational gaps.

Crossing Water and our legion of volunteers are working to ensure that ALL residents of Flint are supported during this crisis, and beyond. This is our fight, these are our neighbors, this is our Michigan.

OUR MISSION:

Our mission is to help individuals, families, groups, and organizations find meaningful solutions to the challenges that confront them in a world of uncertainty and change. 

Our Core staff:

Michael Hood, Executive Director, Director of Outreach, Volunteer Coordinator

Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University, and public service and volunteerism has always been a central part of his life. He has served as director and volunteer coordinator for Lansing, Michigan's largest free community holiday meal known as the Lansing Thanksgiving Feast for over 15 years, which prepares, serves, and delivers over 700 hot meals a year to the most vulnerable and underserved in the Lansing area. Michael has been a rock climbing instructor, a wilderness guide, medical first responder, and children's camp director for over 30 years, and an emergency medical technician. Michael founded Crossing Water with his partner in response to the Flint Water Crisis to serve the most vulnerable residents in Flint.

Laurie Carpenter, RRST Supervisor, Director of Training

Laurie received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and currently works as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease. She has been co-director of Lansing’s Thanksgiving Feast for over 15 years, has worked in research in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, and worked as an adventure guide and outdoor experiential educator. Laurie co-founded Crossing Water with her partner in response to the Flint Water Crisis.

Click on the Left or Right side of the photo below for a glimpse of our volunteer work!