A 16-year-old from Lynchburg, Virginia, Hunter expressed his passion by organizing a race—the Agua Pura 5k—to raise funds to provide clean water for a village in Guatemala. He dedicated his time and resources and recruited sponsors to cover all the expenses of the race to make sure the funds from the event would go specifically toward drilling clean-water wells. Hunter’s initial goal of 250 participants was exceeded when 300 runners showed up on race day. The event raised enough funds to provide five shallow wells in Guatemala!

What started out as a passion and desire to raise awareness for the urgency of clean water, turned into an action that brought about incredible results. Because of Hunter’s efforts, many people will now have access to clean water that will completely transform their lives.

causelife was also excited to participate in the first annual Tasted Fest, a collaboration of organizations raising awareness for global needs. causelife explained the urgent need for clean water and our passion to help meet this need. Our staff shared the impact clean water can make on an entire community and introduced our cause to more than 200 people.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Alan and Tracy Honey organized a benefit concert for causelife through Bay Summit Church on April 23. Their “Water for Life” concert was attended by 250 people who rallied to help provide clean water. Proceeds from the concert were given directly to fund a deep bore well that will provide 1,000 people with clean water.

We were privileged to participate in these incredible developments this month—developments we know are only possible through the work and dedication of inspiring advocates. We look forward to seeing the impact their involvement will bring . . . lives forever changed through the gift of clean water!

The sight of these villages was sobering as they witnessed firsthand the consequences dirty water has on the communities. Water sources are scarce, and illness from waterborne diseases is widespread—all because of the lack of clean water.

While in Guatemala, they had the opportunity to visit a local school directly affected by contaminated water. Pig farms line the river where the school is located, and the pigs share the same water that children and families are forced to use for their cooking, bathing, and drinking. This is their only source of water for the entire area.

After seeing the plight of these people, Joshua and Kase felt an immediate urgency to get involved. They started thinking about how they could literally make a difference after seeing a well installation and witnessing how it changed an entire community.

“After the trip and having participated in a well dedication, the decision was already made that we were going to provide clean water,” said Joshua.

The Andrews family has already given the funds to drill a deep-bore well in the village of El Cacao, Guatemala, and they are working on raising funds for another.

All that is needed to make a difference is passionate and willing people. When we choose to act, lives are transformed . . . saved! Every endeavor—big and small—helps to change futures.

For more information about how you can bring health and hope through the gift of clean water, click here.

Hunter had traveled before, but nothing could prepare him for his trip to Guatemala—an experience that would change his life.

“The poverty  we see in the U.S. is nothing compared to what is typical in Guatemala,” Hunter explains. “We went to villages and saw people living in deplorable conditions. They were living in houses built from scrap metal they found at the dump. Those same people did not have clean water.”

This new experience opened Hunter’s eyes to a very real problem—the lack of a basic resource necessary for life: clean water.

“Seeing this problem firsthand motivated Hunter to take action. A few weeks after returning from Guatemala, he began raising money to drill a clean-water well.

“Seeing people without the basic necessities of life, like water, really makes you appreciate what you have. When you see that [others] don’t have [clean water] . . . that’s not right. I’m a person who wants to make a difference in the world, and this is just one way for me to do that and help others,” Hunter said.

To raise money for his well, Hunter has coordinated a 5K run/walk along with a kid’s run, which he named “Agua Pura,” Spanish for “clean water.” The event takes place at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, on March 31, and all of the proceeds will go toward bringing clean water to people in Guatemala. The $20 registration fee is enough to provide clean water for one person for up to 20 years, and Hunter’s goal is to have 400 people participate.

“There’s a lot of planning that goes into a 5K, and this is my first time doing something like this,” said Hunter. “It’s been very time consuming, but it will be worth it to give clean water to the people in Guatemala—something we take for granted.”

When asked about future goals, Hunter said he wants to continue campaigning for clean water.

“It’s definitely something I’m passionate about. I’m planning on directing another 5K next year and hopefully grow [the event].”

Registration is still open for the Agua Pura 5K. For more information or to register, click here.

You don’t have to coordinate a 5K to make a difference—the options to bring change are endless. Host an event, make artwork, shoot a video—you can do just about anything to fundraise for clean water. How will you choose to contribute? For more ideas and ways you can help, click here.

But a passionate group of young people in Virginia, determined take a stand against the heartbreaking effects of the World Water Crisis, joined together and changed Delia’s idea of normal. Now, Delia and her daughters have received the incredible gift of clean water. With a clean-water well now just steps away from their home, they will no longer have to rise early to travel a long distance to obtain water. They no longer fear illness from unsanitary water. Clean water has completely transformed their lives.

Let Delia’s story become a common one for others who are in dire need of clean water. Together, we can mark this World Water Day as the start of an effort that changed futures.

Join the movement to help stop the World Water Crisis. Visit my.causelife.org to learn how you can personalize your own campaign and save lives.

Global Crisis.

This very day, millions of people will scavenge for clean water. They will drag their tired feet down dusty, dirt roads in search of any water source that will, most likely, be filled with contaminated water. Death, due to water-related illnesses, is a very real risk they face.

While we celebrate that thousands now have clean water through our dedicated causelife supporters, there are still millions of people without access. Communities continue to be plagued by this global crisis.

Join Us.

This World Water Day, we urge you to join us in approaching this crisis with a Glass Half Full mentality. Instead of allowing the dire need to overwhelm and hinder you from taking a stand, we need to move beyond simply spreading the word about the need for clean water, and instead, make a commitment to act.

By turning words into action, we invite you to join with us in providing clean water to those in need. Through our online fundraising platform mycause, you can start your fundraising today.

Act Now.

This World Water Day, we urge you to get creative and meet the needs of those without clean water. Take the first step—this day does not have to go by without action. This can be the moment you decide to not just advocate for clean water, but to implement it.

In a time when the World Water Crisis takes the lives of thousands each day, make the decision to see the Glass Half Full by acting now.

Watch this brief video clip of Billingsley describing his experience in Guatemala and why he chose to support causelife.

If you are interested in creating a mycause page of your own, please visit my.causelife.org today and get started!

As she reached the village well, Tammy turned and faced the large crowd before her. A hush came over the multitude of spectators as she began to share the story of the well beside her .  .  . the story of Joshua’s well.

Joshua, Tammy’s son, passed away when he was 18 years old. As any mother would be, Tammy was devastated over the loss of her son. She desperately wanted to make a lasting tribute in memory of Josh, but she wasn’t sure what to do.

 

About two years after Josh’s death, his paternal grandparents, Dick and Kay Hall, went on a trip to Guatemala. They were in disbelief when they saw the effect that dirty water was having on so many Guatemalan villages. They knew that lives could be saved, and communities could flourish if only they could be given access to a clean, safe water source.

 

When they returned home, Dick and Kay shared what they had seen with Tammy. Immediately, Tammy knew how she could honor the memory of her son . . . she would donate a well in Josh’s name.

 

Tammy knew her goal would not be reached quickly or easily, but she began the fundraising efforts to provide a deep bore well.

 

 A little while later, several states away, a woman by the name of Theresa received the devastating news that her son had passed away due to combat-related injuries. Theresa’s son had left all of his assets to her with the stipulation that they be used to “help children.” She knew exactly what to do. 

 

Theresa had been following Tammy’s blog and heard about the well she was trying to fund on behalf of her son. She knew she could honor her son’s legacy by helping another mother to do the same. In one phone call, Theresa donated the remaining funds needed for the well. The village community leader donated the land for the well.

Tammy with the community leader

Tears streamed down the cheeks of the villagers as they learned that the well that had saved the lives of so many of their own children had come at the great loss of these two boys. Mothers held their babies closely and whispered words of heartfelt gratitude.

Through death, life was given. Through pain, joy was received. Through devastation, hope was restored.

This is the legacy of Joshua’s well.

Tammy with children from Manzanotal around Joshua's well.

The decision was made to host a golf tournament in Memphis. Jacob met with Walmart’s vendors in his region and challenged them to sponsor the tournament. Excitement grew as all of them pledged their support to help with this great need. The sponsors included Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kimberly Clarke, Del Monte Foods, Nestle Waters, Nestle Food, Pepperidge Farm, Sara Lee, Flowers Foods, Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Anderson Merchandisers, Proctor and Gamble, Frito Lay, Budweiser of Memphis, Kraft Foods, Lewis Brothers Bakeries, Quaker Foods as well as hundreds of enthusiastic Walmart associates from 45 stores in that region of Tennessee. Each store was pivotal in raising awareness and held their own fundraiser to support the cause.

The tournament was a great success, and more than $75,000 dollars was raised to provide clean-water wells to villages where people only had access to contaminated water.

I just returned from Guatemala, along with Jacob, Rodney Ray of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, and Dennis Tumlin of Coca-Cola Enterprises. We were able to participate in the dedication of two wells that were drilled in very poor villages through the funds provided from the golf tournament.

One of the wells was placed inside a school yard in the village of Piedras Azules, Gulan, where over 200 students now have access to clean water throughout the day. It also supplies safe drinking water to the 1,000 other people living in the village. While we were there, Jacob, Rodney, and Dennis also distributed school supplies and soccer balls as gifts for the children at the school.

Pictured above: Dennis Tulin, Carlos Vargas (our partner from Hope of Life), Rodney Ray, and Jacob Frias with individuals from Piedras Azules, Gulan

The second well was dedicated in the village of La Pedrera, a village of approximately 1,000 people who, prior to the well being installed, had to gather water from a polluted stream.

Pictured above: Jacob Frias, Rodney Ray, and Dennis Tulin with individuals from La Pedrera

While in Guatemala, the Walmart team was able to see the full outreach of causelife’s national partner. They were able to participate in a feeding program at a landfill, play basketball with the children in the orphanage, tour the baby rescue center where severely malnourished children are nursed back to health, and witness firsthand the lives that are changed every day because of the outreach of Hope of Life International, our partner ministry in Guatemala.

In May, there will be two more golf tournaments—one in Memphis and the other in Nashville. It has been an honor for causelife to work with Walmart, their associates, and vendors to provide clean water for thousands of people in Guatemala—and we look forward to what will be accomplished together in the future!

This month, we would like to introduce you to the Dean-Hills! Jake and Jennifer Dean-Hill, and their children Dawson and McKenna, have helped provide two wells through causelife and are hoping to fund one additional well each year. Get to know them a little better through this brief interview:

Left to Right: Dawson, Jake, Jennifer, McKenna

causelife: When did you first learn about the water crisis, and what caused your family to get involved?

 Jake and Jennifer: Back in 2009, our family had the opportunity to hear the Children of the World International Children’s Choir at our church in Richland, Washington. Their theme was all about clean water equaling life, and the choir and video shown that night touched all of our hearts. We had to do something . . . so that night we gave a donation. But we could not get the thought out of our heads that so many around the world did not have access to clean water. It felt so wrong that the water we flush our toilets with every day is cleaner than the water most of the world drinks every day. So that next year, we decided to change our giving priorities and put most of our resources into drilling wells to provide clean water to those in need. With all the crises in the world, we felt this was the most efficient way to use our resources to make a significant impact on numerous humanitarian needs around the world. Our kids joined us in the cause and decided to give their tithes to the well fund also.

causelife: You’ve stated that you want to try to fund one well each year. What motivates you to keep giving?

Jake and Jennifer: What keeps us motivated to keep giving is the thought that every day we turn on the faucet anywhere we are and take for granted the clean, drinkable water that comes out. We want to do what we can to allow others to experience the same. Knowing we are making a difference in the lives of many, inspires us to keep striving toward our goal of drilling as many wells as we can. We know that by providing clean water, we are tackling many humanitarian needs at once: children are able to attend school instead of spending their days fetching dirty water from miles away, while keeping them from being abused and raped during their long journey, preventing various diseases that come from unclean water, and improving their entire quality of life. It also has the potential to help neighboring villages who are in need of clean water too.

causelife: It seems that this is a family affair. How do your kids feel about being involved in a project like this?

Dawson: I feel excited and overjoyed about being involved in such an impacting and life-saving motion. What motivates me is the fact that I can do more, and each time we provide a well, tons of people are helped. The fact that we are causing life really keeps me going.

McKenna: I feel so privileged to give what little resources I have to help kids like me be able to get clean water with just a push of a handle. What a blessing it has been in my life alone to see what I have had the privilege to be a part of. I don’t know what is more of a blessing—knowing I’ve provided clean water for others or that it has changed my life as well. It’s so wonderful knowing that when I lay my head down at night, I’ve made a difference in our world today at only 14 years old. What does the future hold?

McKenna and Dawson

causelife: What are some things that you and your family are doing to fundraise?

Jake and Jennifer: Some of the ways we raise funds to provide wells is through our family taking a significant portion of our tithe and placing the funds in a designated bank account until we have enough to pay for another well. We also have an “H2O” jar that we all place our spare change into throughout the year and then add it to the other funds in the bank. We have committed to continue to increase our giving as God richly blesses us.

We are also beginning to work on multiplying our efforts by getting the word out about causelife and inviting family and friends to join us in the cause. We decided to start a campaign this year called the “Choose Water Challenge.” Through our personalized mycause page, we are inviting family and friends to give up beverages they would normally purchase and choose to drink water instead for one week. Then we ask them to give what they would have spent on pop, alcohol, coffee, etc., to causelife to provide clean water to those in need. So, as people choose to join us, they are not only choosing water to drink and giving what they would have spent on another beverage to the cause, they are also choosing to give clean water to the poorest in the world.

We are also increasing awareness by wearing our shirts and bracelets and using our causelife water bottles. Another thing we are going to do is print up business cards with our mycause webpage address on them so we can easily hand them out to get others involved.

causelife: If there is one thing you could share with our readers, what would it be?

Jake and Jennifer: We want to encourage others to give. We are experiencing such a blessing as we give clean water and we want others to experience the same. How could it not feel good to know that your efforts are saving lives? This is leaving a legacy, and it’s teaching our children the importance of having a world view and a heart for the hurting. It leaves a legacy in our country and in the lives of those we help. We are not only leaving a footprint in the U.S. but also a footprint in a dry and weary land . . . a wet print at that.

If you would like to donate to the Dean-Hill’s well fund, please visit their website: my.causelife.org/deanhills. Let’s work together to bring clean water to the world!