Alabama business owner works to ease Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis

by Kalyn Dunkins

Hinds County Emergency Management Operations deputy director Tracy Funches, right, and operations coordinator Luke Chennault, wade through flood waters Monday in northeast Jackson, Miss. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, Associated Press)

A small Alabama business owner is doing his part to help those affected by the water crisis in Mississippi. Lorenzo Martin has spent the last few days collecting water cases to send to the neighboring state, according to a news report.

“Sometimes you can sit back and watch things happen. And there are times when you have to help make something happen,” Martin said. “The least that we can do in Mobile County is to send water to Jackson.”

Martin said that people of all ages pitched in, even high school students. The cases are expected to arrive at a local church in Jackson that will distribute them.

Shipments are being made on trucks from Mobile to Jackson. Martin estimates about 50 or 60 cases per truck. A large truck left Tuesday morning while a smaller one had already departed.

“Every case counts,” said Martin. “Anytime our young people begin to grow and volunteer in their own city, it helps everything.”

This story was originally written and published for AL.com.