Why We Support Water With Blessings
Every time Barbara Kannapell turns on the faucet, she thinks about children without clean water.
“Clean water is a matter of life or death for children around the world,” said Barbara (pictured on the right along with Sr. Larraine, Allen Kannapell, and WWB's Rebecca Stutsman). “What I’m brushing my teeth in – I used to just let it run, but now I think about the water I waste. Without clean water, children die from the water-borne diseases – they’re too little to fight them off.
“There are so many mothers who lose their children that in some places they don’t even give them names until after they’re two years old. You can hear about people in need, and think about the problems people face, but it doesn’t always get to your heart. This got to my heart.”
After being introduced to Water With Blessings by a friend, Barbara got more involved. Along with her regular support, she volunteers her time writing thank you notes to donors. And on September 30, she and her husband Allen hosted an event at their home.
“We printed an invitation to family and friends, to come for a cookout and presentation on Water With Blessings,” she said. “We were pretty pleased that we got a good number of responses, so we decided to pull out all the stops. We had great food, great help, and because it was a great evening we were able to be outside.
“We told how we got involved. Then Sr. Larraine gave her presentation. People were quite engaged. The questions period went way longer than we had anticipated.”
Sr. Larraine said: “We so much appreciate the efforts of the Kannapells and their wonderful, gracious hospitality. There was no hard sell – the guests just picked up the envelopes that were available. The event has introduced us to many new friends, and the donations are still coming in.”
Barbara also talked about how a little gift goes a long way for Water With Blessings.
“Just $75 – where does that go?” she asked. “It doesn’t go too far here in the US. But with the filter it does so much for the women and their families. It’s just so basic.”
