Pursuing a Passion for Clean Water

By Kaitlyn Lindsey, Clean Water Action Maryland Intern - Follow our Maryland Team on Twitter (@CleanWater_MD) Hey Clean Water Community! My name is Kaitlyn Lindsey. I am going into my fifth and final year at Towson University where I have been studying Family Science. I have a passion for helping people. More specifically, my passion is for helping families. I hope to one day make a difference by working with advocacy and policies that affect family life and maybe even go to law school. I was drawn to Clean Water Action in Baltimore because water and other environmental issues have so much influence on the way families can live and function. I travelled to El Salvador on a short term mission trip a few years ago to build a clean water well for a small village that had no access to clean water prior to our mission teams visit. I can’t put into words how priceless the reactions were that the villagers had to the first few pumps of the water from the well. That well completely changed their quality of life. After that trip, my awareness of clean water issues and my passion to make a difference really took off. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I realized these types of issues don’t only occur in other countries, but they can also happen right in our backyards! Maryland steamed crabs are one of my all-time favorite meals, all covered in some delicious Old Bay. But, there are tons of issues that occur in the water that could affect the crabs in the bay and I would hate to miss out on a good crab feast. There are tons of other issues that are far more serious than me just missing out on my favorite meal, though. I have learned through my studies at Towson University that a family’s ability to access and utilize resources shapes how the family can live. With that being said, I think that water has to be at the top of the list of necessary resources a family needs. I truly didn’t realize how much water and how clean or polluted it is directly affected until I made connections from my studies to my mission work all the way to my favorite dinner. I’m so excited for the opportunity that Clean Water Action in Baltimore has given to become involved and educated in these issues in order to pursue my passion!