Phoenix Church's 'Dirty Water' Campaign Aims to Provide Clean Water

DirtyWaterPHOENIX—Palmcroft Baptist Church of Arizona is organizing a campaign to raise thousands of dollars to bring clean water to the poorest of the poor in Haiti and Ethiopia.

On April 5, 2012, college students will gather for a 12-mile, four-hour walk to raise funds and bring awareness. The walk will begin at 4 p.m. and will go from Palmcroft church, 15825 N. 35th Ave., to the state fairgrounds on West McDowell Road.

During Easter services on Saturday and Sunday, Palmcroft will bring this campaign to more than 4,000 people. Participants will be given the opportunity to walk a 100-yard course, carrying 47 pounds of water in a five-gallon jerry can. This to experience the, on average, four-hour walk that most of impoverished kids have each way to get dirty water.

On Easter Sunday morning, everyone who attends Palmcroft Church will be given a bottle of “Dirty Water,” and the church will encourage them to drink nothing but water for three weeks. On April 29, people will be asked to bring back the money they saved on coffee, soda and other drinks and give it toward the clean water projects.

“One hundred percent of funds raised will go toward clean water projects for the poorest of the poor,” said Jeff Wolfe, Palmcroft’s student ministries pastor. “Five thousand dollars builds a well for a community of 400 that will bring clean safe drinking water for 20 years. Together, we can change the tide; together, we are a force for good.”

“We’re excited for Liquid Water to be partnering with Palmcroft this month,” said Rich Birch, vice president of Liquid Water, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to building sustainable clean water solutions for communities in developing countries. “Being able to mobilize thousands of people on one side of the globe to help others on the other side not only brings a solution, but makes a statement from one community to another.”

According to the World Health Organization, unsafe water and poor sanitation kill more people than all forms of violence, including war. About 760 million people are still without access to clean drinking water today.

“For 68 years, the people of Palmcroft have taken action in our community and around the globe,” Wolfe said. “I’m waiting with anticipation to see how God’s love is going to impact people with the simplicity and life-saving gift of clean water.”

In September of 1944, during the height of the World War II, Palmcroft Baptist Church was founded on the 1500 block of West McDowell in Phoenix. With 44 people present at that first service, Pastor Leroy Thomas communicated the vision of missions and evangelism. In 1981 Palmcroft moved to its current location on North 35th Avenue, where that vision has established into a firm foundation. Currently more than 3,000 people experience Palmcroft’s worship services each week. Annually for the past 10 years, Palmcroft has given $1 million to more than 100 missionaries and relief projects. As a part of its continued global outreach, Palmcroft is providing clean drinking water to the poorest of the poor in Ethiopia and Haiti. 

Liquid Water exists to inspire and resource like-minded organizations to “get dirty” and help tackle the global water crisis together. As a part of its global outreach, Liquid Water provides clean drinking water to the poorest of the poor with dozens of completed projects in Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Haiti and El Salvador. In the last two years, “Dirty Water” campaigns have brought safe, clean drinking water to more than 10,000 people across rural Africa.

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