Tri-City Union Gospel Mission needs help getting bottled water to those in need

Access to clean drinking water is something most Tri-Citians don’t have to worry about, but for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness it can be a real challenge.

Tri-City Union Gospel Mission is asking for help meeting the basic need of water during the summer heat.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland and HAPO Community Credit Union are hosting a water drive to benefit TCUGM and local community members. Donations of cases of bottled water are being accepted at the mission through Aug. 16, or donations can be made to cover the cost.

“There’s a lot of people out on the streets that don’t live in the Mission and we want to provide hydration to them,” said Andrew Porter, Executive Director of TCUGM.

The high temperatures can cause health problems that could be avoided with hydration. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to water, leading to risk of serious health problems during the summer.

The shelter welcomes people to come inside the mission anytime during the day to cool down, shower and get a bottle of water. They hand out several thousand bottles each summer.

The donations are more important than ever with the city of Pasco placing restrictions on Clean Sweep’s efforts to place barrels of bottled water in the city.

Typically the nonprofit places several 55-gallon drums filled with ice and bottled water at locations frequented by people experiencing homelessness, but this year Pasco made changes to permitting that will only allow the organization to hand out the water.

“Because people don’t have water out on the street, we want to be a place where they can come in here and get that,” Porter said.

HAPO is encouraging the community to donate bottled water to TCUGM so they can get it to those in the community who need it the most. The goal is to bring in enough donations to last the summer and into winter for both the men’s and women’s shelters.

“It’s something really simple that we can do,” said Emily Volland, director of communications at Kadlec. “Our goal is that there can’t be too much water, the mission can use everything that we’ve got to give them.”

At the women and children’s shelter, they don’t have access to bottled water and there are no water fountains in the nearly 100-year-old building. Outreach for women to come in and get help is done at the women and children’s shelter between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m everyday.

“Something as easy and accessible as a water bottle goes a long way,” said April Biondolillo, director of the Women’s and Children’s shelter at TCUGM.

Community members can drop off cases of bottled water at Tri-City Union Gospel Mission’s main building, at 221 S. 4th Ave. in Pasco, or donate $5 directly to TCUGM to cover the cost of one case of bottled water.