D8 / SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2016 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
The lives affected
T
he story of the Flint water crisis is not just about the politics — it’s about the people. As a resident, I use a case of bottled water every day for general hygiene, cooking and drinking. My job is to show the world the faces of the people of Flint, to help humanize this disaster. During the first week of April, I visited several sites across the city to take portraits of 100 people dealing with the crisis. One hundred portraits — 1/1,000th of the community. These are the stories of my neighbors. We are more than a sound bite. We are human beings who want a basic human right — clean water running through our taps. — Jake May, photographer, MLive/The Flint Journal
Joyce Wilson struggled with health issues before, but this wasn’t the same. The 60-year-old Flint woman began struggling with respiratory issues and bouts of pneumonia after using tap water that originated in the Flint River.
I thought I was going to die. I had been sick but it had never been like it was in the last year or so. A lot die from things like pneumonia and respiratory infections.”
IN THEIR WORDS The Flint residents who participated in this project agreed to share their stories, including information about their backgrounds and lives amid the water crisis. Most told us about their income, their methods of getting water, and whether water quality has affected their health. INCOME Lower: 63
Middle: 34
Avery Boone, 63, complains of itchy rashes and says his hair is thinning.
Upper: 2
HOW DO YOU GET BOTTLED WATER? Vehicle: 60 Bus: 20 Walk: 12 Other: 10
Mark Bonto, 54, says of the crisis, “It’s been a burden,” he said. “It’s been a huge burden.”
Cynthia Castillo Osorio, 41, is paying her water bills but says they are too high.
HAS WATER IMPACTED YOUR HEALTH? Yes: 86 No: 14
Sherman Beeler, 68, uses between 5 and 10 gallons of water daily.
It has become a second job.”
I go in, soak down, lather up, wash down, rinse off real quick and get your butt out of there.”
Anthony Lyons, 54, a freelance contractor, describes dealing with the water crisis. He cooks for his family, including 18 grandchildren. He began recycling plastic bottles recently when he realized throwing them in the trash wasn’t environmentally friendly.
Tony Palladeno Jr., 54, says he is suffering from hair loss, burning eyes, rashes, anxiety and anger.
Samantha Boatwright, 29, and James Duckworth, 39, take their showers and baths, and do their dishes and laundry, at their parents’ house.
Deanna Phelps, 55, picks up more than 20 cases of water each week and needs to make a trip to pick them up five times a week.
Marcus Garvey Butler II, 56, likens the showers he takes at his apartment to his showers when he was in the U.S. Marine Corps 30 years ago. White blotches on his skin have him worried about kidney problems.
Joseph Jackson, 64, does not have a water filter in his home, which he owns, but still takes baths in the tap water.
My skin is dry and I have got rashes on my legs. But it seems like everybody’s got them.”
Delores Barnwell, 60, said washing daily with bottled water made her feel uncomfortable and insecure about her hygiene, so she takes the risk and still bathes in Flint water.
Monsenaray Sheppard picks up water two or three times a week from a fire station.
Nayyirah Shariff, 39, says her water bills are too high. Her mother pays $35 to $40 a month, she says — “and she lives in the middle of a desert” near Las Vegas.
“My grandkids come over and they want to take baths, but the frustrating part is when you don’t have a ride and you need water, so you have to walk to get water.”
They need to fix the problem.” MITCHELL GEROW, 30
Patrice Bell, 45, with Vernon Miller Jr., 54, and children Jerry, 4, and Omar, 5