One Man, Lots of Clean Water

Doc Hendley reminds us what a difference one person can make. In early 2004 he was bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, North Carolina, when he first started learning about the 1 billion people in the world who lack access to adequate water and sanitation. “Water kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Every 15 seconds a child dies because of unclean drinking water. When I heard things like that, I was absolutely shocked…. I decided to do something about it,” Doc recalls.

Doc used his bartending skills to organize a wine tasting event that raised funds for clean water initiatives in developing countries. Six months later, he was living in Darfur, installing water systems. Fast forward to today, and Doc’s organization, called Wine to Water, has launched projects to provide clean water and sanitation in countries including Cambodia, Haiti, India, Peru and Uganda. His aid organization still raises funds through wine tasting events (which explains the name), but there are other ways to help, too. A $50 donation will pay for a ceramic water filter that a family can use for two years. Just $100 will fund a bio-sand filter that can remove 98% of impurities, bacteria and viruses in a school or hospital water supply. With $500, Wine to Water can help build a shallow well that could provide clean water for an entire community for up to 10 years.

We heard about Doc from Daily Grommet friend Steve Curran of Pod Digital Design. Steve heard Doc speak at a Boston event where he had the entire audience mesmerized. We agreed with Steve that his story just had to be told. Most of us have never had to worry about finding clean water. If we all pitch in, Doc and his team at Wine to Water will keep erasing that worry for as many people around the world as they can.

— Ann