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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Volunteers Canvass to Help Flint Get Safe Water

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Friday, April 28, 2017   

RICHMOND, Va. – It's been three years since a Virginia Tech team helped expose the water-quality crisis in Flint, Michigan. Thousands of homes there still need to have their water lines replaced - and this weekend, volunteers will fan out across the city to help.

Before crews can work on the pipes however, homeowners must sign consent forms. On Saturday, volunteers led by AARP members in Michigan will go door-to-door helping to get that paperwork in order.

AARP Michigan State Director Paula Cunningham says it's understandable that, three years into the Flint water crisis, many residents are frustrated and skeptical.

"There is a little bit of a trust factor in Flint, in terms of whose voice the residents want to listen to, and we have found that AARP has become a trusted resource," she explains.

Last fall, AARP Michigan was able to reach 500 residents during a similar effort. This year the goal is to knock on doors at 6,000 homes between this weekend and additional canvassing days scheduled for the coming months.

Cunningham says it's critical to get the word out that replacing the pipes is the only long-term solution.

"Some residents are telling us, 'Oh, but my water has been tested,'" she said. "Well, that's because they have a filter on it. We just want to make certain that each person knows that, regardless of whether your water has tested clean or not, you still have to have your pipes replaced."

The door-to-door effort is the result of several "listening sessions" and surveys AARP Michigan conducted with Flint residents last year to determine how best to help respond to the crisis.


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