On July 2, 2022, extreme rainfall hit parts of eastern Kentucky, including many surrounding Appalachia communities – causing devastating flooding across the region. Survivors say they were provided no warning, and that there was no time to escape. The death toll has risen to 37, with hundreds still missing. The flooding has destroyed entire homes and much of the region’s infrastructure – leaving families without access to shelter, food, electricity, or clean water. Many communities are utilizing springs, swimming pools and flood water for all their water needs.
LifeStraw, a public health B Corp on a mission to provide equitable access to safe drinking water, shipped over 3,700 individual, household, and high-volume purifiers to the region immediately, and this month several LifeStraw team members traveled to eastern Kentucky to distribute the filters and support relief efforts.
In early August, in partnership with local volunteers, a team from LifeStraw including CEO Alison Hill, worked across the four counties hardest hit – Perry County, Breathitt County, Knott County and Floyd County, including the Caney River Road-area of Lost Creek. The team distributed donated water filters and purifiers, and helped families clean up what was left of their homes or temporary shelters.
“It was an emotional reminder that responding to emergencies and showing up when communities are struggling for access to safe drinking water is core to the LifeStraw team,” said Hill. “It’s more than just donating and sending products. It is about working side by side with the community to show up for families, asking what they need, listening to what is critical to them and doing what we can to make it happen.”
LifeStraw is now working with several grassroots partners as well as the USDA and the Health Department with access to warehousing and distribution sites for needed supplies.
The primary needs include:
- Coolers (most households have lost power and refrigeration)
- Tents
- Solar lighting
- Kids shoes (apparently this is a big one)
- Sleeping bags
- Camp stoves
- Underwear
- Female hygiene products
- Diapers
- Formula
LifeStraw is calling on other outdoor businesses to join in support by donating these greatly needed supplies.
Hill said, “I believe that companies like LifeStraw, that can provide products, expertise, or manpower to help protect the health and well-being of families facing devastating circumstances, have an obligation to step up in times like these. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s our responsibility as corporate citizens and as humans to go outside of our comfort zones, lean in and roll up our sleeves to be part of a solution.”
Businesses interested in donating supplies to flood victims can contact LifeStraw’s Social Impact Manager, Tara MacDowell (TLM@LIFESTRAW.COM) for support in coordinating shipments and delivery of supplies to Eastern Kentucky.
As a part of LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund, the brand has created the Safe Water Fund for Kentucky where individuals and businesses can donate funds to offset the cost of manufacturing and distributing more water filters, LifeStraw is partnering with the USDA and community grassroots efforts to ship down thousands of personal, household and community-size filters to distribute to affected areas.
**100% of donated funds go towards the cost of manufacturing and distributing the filters; LifeStraw does not profit from your donation.
ABOUT LIFESTRAW
The original LifeStraw Personal Water Filter, which converts microbiologically contaminated water into safe, potable water, was introduced in 2005. LifeStraw’s Guinea worm filter has also been instrumental in the near-eradication of Guinea worm disease. Today, LifeStraw products are used in more than 64 countries by schools, clinics, outdoor enthusiasts, adventure travelers and households, and are regularly deployed to support communities impacted by emergencies or natural disasters requiring potable water. LifeStraw’s innovative water filtration technology is rigorously tested by independent laboratories and leveraged across some of the harshest environments around the world. The company is also a Climate Neutral certified B Corp. For every product purchased, a school child in need receives safe water for a year. LifeStraw’s water filtration options are sold in retail stores in North America and Europe, and online at www.lifestraw.com. Follow LifeStraw on Instagram and TikTok at @LifeStraw.
