BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — "Water is a huge issue. I mean we can only live two days without it."
Right now in Puerto Rico, water is being rationed.
People wait in long lines paying seven dollars for a "per-car ration" of just four bottles of water, less than what most live on in one day.
"Every time I see a case of water being unloaded off of a plane I go crazy because you could unload a water purifier and they could actually drink water from their streams if it was purified."
That's when Jeri Rutherford had an idea.
Bring water purifiers to the island's schools, to help not only with the safe and clean drinking water shortage, but to create a sustainable solution that will benefit them years into the future.
"I'm just doing what I can do," said Rutherford, . "I can't fix the problem, but I can take enough equipment to take care of 100 children in five different classrooms, and that's my goal."
In two weeks, she will set sail from Jacksonville, Florida in her own sail boat, heading south to the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and then to Puerto Rico, bringing water purifiers to local classrooms.
"Kids need to be normalized and they need to recover from this storm as well. When kids come to the classroom they'll be able to get water and when they leave they'll be able to go home with their water bottle full."
Right now, Rutherford has raised enough funds for three water purifiers. She says they each last four years and her goal is to bring five to the island when she sets sail in just two weeks.
If you would like to donate and help Jeri reach her goal of purchasing all five water purifiers, you can donate through her Facebook page HERE or you can send them to Jeri@rideouttech.com via Paypal. She works through a local 501c3 non profit and all contributions are tax deductable.
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