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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS TO ALLEVIATING THE WATER CRISIS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN
WHEREAS, the drinking water of the City of Flint, Michigan became contaminated with lead in April 2014, during a period wherein the city was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager; and,
WHEREAS, that state-appointed emergency manager, in an effort to cut costs, made a decision to temporarily draw Flint’s water from the Flint River instead of Lake Huron; and,
WHEREAS, in drawing Flint’s water from the Flint River, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has conceded that it failed to treat that water with the chemicals needed to ensure that water’s safety, thereby causing lead to leach from pipes and fixtures into Flint’s drinking water; and,
WHEREAS, the presence of lead in Flint’s drinking water has led to a public health crisis, resulting in 8,657 children being exposed to lead; and,
WHEREAS, children are more susceptible to lead poisoning than adults; and,
WHEREAS, the People of Flint continue to deal with restrictions on access to water and health concerns, and the ongoing crisis has seized the attention of the nation; and,
WHEREAS, in Cook County, many residents have shown exemplary citizenship by stepping forward to assist the residents of Flint, Michigan in their hour of need; and,
WHEREAS, Chicago firefighter Eric Washington organized a team of friends to collect donations of bottled water for the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, Firefighter Washington created a web page with the website GoFundMe hoping to raise some money in order to buy bottled water for residents of Flint, Michigan, and ultimately raised $17,000.00; and,
WHEREAS, in addition to the money raised through GoFundMe, Firefighter Washington continued to collect bottled water in person for the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, Firefighter Washington has stated that he views his service to the people of Flint as an extension of his public service as a firefighter, expressing the need to help others beyond just the hours he spends on the job; and,
WHEREAS, on the West Side of Chicago and in the near West Cook suburbs, at least a dozen pastors and clergy joined to form the Water for Life campaign, collecting more than 1,000 cases of water to deliver to the people of Flint by truck; and,
WHEREAS, those pastors and clergy including Reverend Cy Fields of New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Ira Acree of Greater St. John Bible Church, Reverend Marshall Hatch of New Mt. Pilgrim Church, and Rabbi Max Weiss of Oak Park Temple, have committed to follow up their collection of water with continued and sustained outreach to the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, on the South Side of Chicago, Sweet Holy Spirit Church, under the leadership of Bishop Larry Trotter, held a seven-day drive to collect bottled water for the people of Flint; and,
WHEREAS, members of Sweet Holy Spirit Church collected 160,000 bottles of water for the people of Flint; and,
WHEREAS, on February 3, 2016, the 160,000 bottles of water collected by the members of Sweet Holy Spirit Church were loaded onto two trucks donated by the Custom Companies Trucking Firm and transported to Flint, Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, officials with the Village of Maywood have led an effort to collect bottled water for the people of Flint, Michigan and have contributed bottled water to the residents of Flint; and,
WHEREAS, the acts of compassion and service undertaken by the aforementioned individuals and groups represent the very best of the people of Cook County;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Cook County Board President that the aforementioned residents of Cook County are to be commended for their compassion and their service to the people of Flint, Michigan; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the deep appreciation of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Cook County Board President be extended to the aforementioned residents of Cook County for exemplifying the very best attributes of citizenship and service.
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