Help Family Move Out of Flint, MI
Donation protected
Hello,
I am Lee. I am from Flint. If you know me, you know that I carry my city wherever I go.
A Little About Me
I graduated valedictorian from International Preparatory Academy in 2008. The same year I received the Key to the City of Flint, was recognized as an Urban League Scholar, and featured on the news for my accomplishments as a student athlete, role model and servant leader in the community. I attended Kalamazoo College where I major in Math and involved myself in countless programs and extracurricular activities while committing myself to athletics. While at I K, I was vice-president then president of our Black Student Organization. I dedicated a large portion of my education on learning and combating injustices on and off campus. I volunteered numerous hours to the local juvenile home, local schools, school-sponsored math programs for youth, training, seminars, and workshops for adults and much more.
Following my time at K, I accepted a job in Detroit as a k-8 school administrator. It was my mission to help re-create an at-risk school on Detroit's west side. I initiated and managed many programs at the school including a garden program, a father's mentoring program, and a girl empowerment group just to name a few.
Recently, I felt it was time to leave my previous school. Now, I work in technology however, I maintain my passion to work in the community. Currently, I am structuring a program for inner-city youth to benefit from the many changes that are occurring in Downtown Detroit.
When someone asks me "why?" My answer always rest in my home city - Flint. I have witnessed a lot growing up in Flint and when I knew that I had something to share, I believed it was my duty to share it. Since grade 7 my only mission in life has been to be a blessing for other, to be the role model that truly brings light to people who fear they'll never see. I believe that the relentlessness of Flint has taught me this. That is something that will never die.
Call For Help
It brings me a bit of pain and relief to call out for help in this manner. I have never been the type to ask for help like this, I must be honest and say that it is strange, unnerving, difficult yet humbling.
This is a cry for help. I need it, my family needs it and many families and Flint need it. I am writing this to help my family move out of Flint. Currently, my 60 year old mother and 11 year brother are staying in Flint.
My mother has been been in pain and though she won't speak out about it, I know she is hurting physically. I notice her extending and stretching her hands regularly as though she is trying to rid a pain that won't budge. She often retires herself to sleep on the couch for many hours of the day. I can tell that something is not right.
My younger brother was exposed to the water last year in a incident where he hurt his foot and soaked it Flint water. This event turned a stubbed toe into an unidentified, unprecedented and undiagnosed problem for doctors at the local hospital. Following his visit to the hospital my brother was sent home, unable to walk for several days with no known reasons or any relevant information.
As a family, we have been working diligently to keep safe. Since the switch, my older brother and I would send water in gallon jugs for my mom and younger brother to drink, wash dishes, brush teeth, and wash-up. As well , my brother and I would have them at our respective apartments each weekend to shower and feel at peace. Now, we are tired. We have long been tired. We are ready to open a new chapter.
Currently we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place and it’s been this way for a couple years. For the last few years we were essentially forced to pay for water that we could not and did not use. If we did not pay our water bill it would have been cut-off. Since the local and state government often dangled the promise of potable water in the near future, we found it more advantageous than paying the astronomical fees associated with getting our water turned back on. In addition, we owe a 20K mortgage on a house that is worth less than nothing.
Our family has long been active members in our Flint Community, donating countless years to volunteering at churches, community centers, food drives, schools etc. We gave a large part of our lives to Flint, MI in many ways and I personally find it a sad occurrence that we must turn the page on city that we struggled so hard for. I owe my activism -the core of my life- to my city and it pains me that political indifference would lead to circumstances that, even I find unbearable for my brothers and sisters in Flint.
Though we appreciate the donated bottles of water, we are ready to move on and move out. We do not want anymore bottles of water. We want justice, We want out!
Any and all donations will be used to establish residency outside of Flint, MI.
I am Lee. I am from Flint. If you know me, you know that I carry my city wherever I go.
A Little About Me
I graduated valedictorian from International Preparatory Academy in 2008. The same year I received the Key to the City of Flint, was recognized as an Urban League Scholar, and featured on the news for my accomplishments as a student athlete, role model and servant leader in the community. I attended Kalamazoo College where I major in Math and involved myself in countless programs and extracurricular activities while committing myself to athletics. While at I K, I was vice-president then president of our Black Student Organization. I dedicated a large portion of my education on learning and combating injustices on and off campus. I volunteered numerous hours to the local juvenile home, local schools, school-sponsored math programs for youth, training, seminars, and workshops for adults and much more.
Following my time at K, I accepted a job in Detroit as a k-8 school administrator. It was my mission to help re-create an at-risk school on Detroit's west side. I initiated and managed many programs at the school including a garden program, a father's mentoring program, and a girl empowerment group just to name a few.
Recently, I felt it was time to leave my previous school. Now, I work in technology however, I maintain my passion to work in the community. Currently, I am structuring a program for inner-city youth to benefit from the many changes that are occurring in Downtown Detroit.
When someone asks me "why?" My answer always rest in my home city - Flint. I have witnessed a lot growing up in Flint and when I knew that I had something to share, I believed it was my duty to share it. Since grade 7 my only mission in life has been to be a blessing for other, to be the role model that truly brings light to people who fear they'll never see. I believe that the relentlessness of Flint has taught me this. That is something that will never die.
Call For Help
It brings me a bit of pain and relief to call out for help in this manner. I have never been the type to ask for help like this, I must be honest and say that it is strange, unnerving, difficult yet humbling.
This is a cry for help. I need it, my family needs it and many families and Flint need it. I am writing this to help my family move out of Flint. Currently, my 60 year old mother and 11 year brother are staying in Flint.
My mother has been been in pain and though she won't speak out about it, I know she is hurting physically. I notice her extending and stretching her hands regularly as though she is trying to rid a pain that won't budge. She often retires herself to sleep on the couch for many hours of the day. I can tell that something is not right.
My younger brother was exposed to the water last year in a incident where he hurt his foot and soaked it Flint water. This event turned a stubbed toe into an unidentified, unprecedented and undiagnosed problem for doctors at the local hospital. Following his visit to the hospital my brother was sent home, unable to walk for several days with no known reasons or any relevant information.
As a family, we have been working diligently to keep safe. Since the switch, my older brother and I would send water in gallon jugs for my mom and younger brother to drink, wash dishes, brush teeth, and wash-up. As well , my brother and I would have them at our respective apartments each weekend to shower and feel at peace. Now, we are tired. We have long been tired. We are ready to open a new chapter.
Currently we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place and it’s been this way for a couple years. For the last few years we were essentially forced to pay for water that we could not and did not use. If we did not pay our water bill it would have been cut-off. Since the local and state government often dangled the promise of potable water in the near future, we found it more advantageous than paying the astronomical fees associated with getting our water turned back on. In addition, we owe a 20K mortgage on a house that is worth less than nothing.
Our family has long been active members in our Flint Community, donating countless years to volunteering at churches, community centers, food drives, schools etc. We gave a large part of our lives to Flint, MI in many ways and I personally find it a sad occurrence that we must turn the page on city that we struggled so hard for. I owe my activism -the core of my life- to my city and it pains me that political indifference would lead to circumstances that, even I find unbearable for my brothers and sisters in Flint.
Though we appreciate the donated bottles of water, we are ready to move on and move out. We do not want anymore bottles of water. We want justice, We want out!
Any and all donations will be used to establish residency outside of Flint, MI.
Organizer
Lee Cal
Organizer
Flint, MI
