A water crisis continues to worsen. Here’s how you can help from South Florida
For more than a month, the people of Jackson, Mississippi, have had to rely on bottled water for drinking and cooking.
Jackson has been under a boil-water advisory due to issues with its pumps and water treatment plant. More than 160,000 residents have lost water. And the city’s water quality has been unreliable and unsafe for decades.
READ MORE: With another predominately Black city of Jackson, Miss., in need, Miami Gardens steps up
Here are ways you can help alleviate the water crisis from South Florida.
▪ The Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens, 21311 NW 34th Ave, has been collecting cases of water for Jackson since the beginning of September, said Alex Jackson, the church’s director of operations.
The church has already sent two tractor-trailer loads of water and is getting ready to send a third, Jackson said. The first two went to a church, and the third may go to Jackson State University.
The Miami Gardens church will accept donations all week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. but is reassessing what to do with donations moving forward, Jackson said. Anyone wanting more information about the donations can call 305-624-8170.
“We’re basically looking at where the needs are the most,” he said.
▪ ICNA Relief South Florida has started collecting donations to aid people affected by the water crisis in Jackson, said Mohammed Dahsheh, assistant director of disaster relief services and South Florida area manager. The local chapter is accepting monetary donations through its national organization.
The donations will purchase cases of water, which will be distributed by mosques and other places of worship in Jackson, Dahsheh said.
Volunteers announced the donation campaign last week at several mosques after Friday prayers, he said. They have also circulated marketing materials around the South Florida community through WhatsApp and Facebook.
The organization isn’t accepting cases of water in South Florida to avoid transporting them long distance, Dahsheh said. It is still unknown if volunteers from South Florida will travel to Jackson. ICNA Relief South Florida supporters previously traveled to Kentucky, where they distributed food, essential supplies and backpacks to those affected by flooding.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 3:46 PM.
