Flint Water Crisis Update: Resident Launches GoFundMe Campaign

In response to a continuing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, a resident in the town has launched a GoFundMe campaign aimed at providing clean water for Flint citizens. As of Monday afternoon, the campaign, entitled “Water for Flint,” had garnered $2,148 following its Sunday launch.

“Every penny donated will be used to purchase water for Flint residents, particularly for families with children,” Flint resident Marseille Allen wrote on the GoFundMe page.

This month, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency for Genessee County. It was determined that following Flint's money-saving switch of water supply in 2014, the city's tap water had become contaminated with an overabundance of lead, the Associated Press reported. The water, it turned out, contains high levels of iron from Flint River and lead from connecting pipes. Children who have been exposed to lead can potentially develop behavioral problems and learning disabilities.

In response, President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration for Michigan Saturday, directing the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts. The National Guard has also been deployed to Flint to deliver clean water to residents. However, since most of the bottled water donated to Flint is delivered to distribution centers, Allen is worried about people who can't get to these locations, CNNMoney reported.

“We're focused on the hardest-hit areas," Allen said, CNNMoney reported. "The elderly can't pick up water, so we'll deliver it to them and others in need."

Allen wrote on the GoFundMe page Monday morning that with the funds raised so far, she will be able to purchase 3,600 bottles of water.

Flint’s water crisis was also a topic of conversation during Sunday night’s Democratic debate. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton said that every American “should be outraged” by what is happening in Flint. In response, Snyder said Clinton, along with filmmaker Michael Moore, are among those “politicizing” the crisis for political gain.

“Obviously, I care,” Snyder said of Clinton’s comments Monday morning in Flint, the Detroit News reported. “I’m here today. We’ve done a number of actions. We’re going to keep working on putting solutions in place. And what I would say is, politicizing the issue doesn’t help matters. Let's focus in on the solution and how to deal with the damage that was done, and help the citizens of Flint and make Flint a stronger community.”