by Josh Boegner, AIDS United Team Chicago AmeriCorps fellow

Every week, the AIDS United Team Chicago participates in a Fifth Day, where the entire team comes together to complete a service project in the community. Recently, we had the opportunity to partner with AIDS United’s Team Cleveland and Team Indianapolis on a “Super” Fifth Day in support of the community in Flint, Michigan.

Over the course of two days during the first weekend of March, we were able to serve in a variety of capacities that allowed us to increase our awareness regarding the water crisis and alleviate the burden the crisis is placing on the Flint community. We started our service with Wellness Services, one of the only HIV/AIDS service organizations serving the Flint community. We assisted them with outreach, and in cleaning and revitalizing their office space.

Later that day, we met with a group of AmeriCorps NCCC members, who have been on the ground in Flint for the past month serving with the American Red Cross’s door to door water distribution. We wrapped up the day processing food donations at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, who has seen a tremendous increase in water donations that has begun to impact their food distribution efforts. On our last day of service in Flint, we served at Greater Holy Temple, one of the few church-based water distribution sites that hands out water multiple days of the week.

While the impact of our time in Flint was limited, it allowed the team to reflect on the factors that lead to the Water Crisis, and the ongoing challenges that Flint will continue to face, such as: access to healthy and nutritious food, lack of economic opportunities, and how to repair a crumbling infrastructure, to name a few.

Click here to view more photos of AmeriCorps teams serving communities in Flint, MI on Facebook.