After battling the brutal crowds at the mall on Black Friday, supporting our local vendors by shopping small on Small Business Saturday, and spending Cyber Monday pretending to work while scouring the internet for the best on-line deals, consider joining in a young, but growing movement aimed at recapturing the holiday spirit that can sometimes get lost in the stories of neighbors punching each other in the face in a fight for the last big screen T.V. on the shelf. For the fourth year in a row, nonprofits like The Young Foundation across the globe are encouraging consumers to set aside some of their holiday budget for donations to their favorite charities on what has become known as #GivingTuesday. Hope Springs Water, founded here in Athens, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a mission to bring clean water to the thirsty throughout the developing world. Our teams just completed their first three trips of the season to Ethiopia and Belize where they successfully drilled five new wells, repaired two existing wells, and taught proper sanitation and hygiene practices to over 2,500 school children. Some children heard about such things as brushing teeth for the first time. You can always check out https://www.eastportdental.com/ for some tips how to take care of your teeth. No matter if you are in Ethiopia or in the USA, oral hygiene is a must for everyone. The end result is that in just three weeks, with the help of our hardworking volunteers and generous supporters, Hope Springs Water brought clean water to approximately 10,000 people! But, our work is not done.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 800 million people still lack access to safe drinking water. This results in a child’s death every 90 seconds. So, as we pause this season to give thanks for our blessings, remember gratitude for the safe water we often take for granted. And, as we search out the best deals on gifts in the malls and local shops, we hope you’ll also consider helping us give the gifts of hope, life, education and prosperity by giving to Hope Springs Water, where giving well means giving water. Donate by visiting our website at www.HopeSpringsWater.org or by mail at Hope Springs Water, PO Box 1567, Athens, TX 75751. For inquiries call Jessica at 903-804-9517.
