Safe water worldwide is goal Kinson wants to help realize
When new Rotary Club of Farragut member Tory Kinson started thinking about moving into a non-profit role full time, his search led him to Water Mission, for which he now is a Knoxville area team member.
Water Mission is a Christian engineering non-profit organization that designs, builds and implements safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions for people in impoverished developing countries and disaster areas throughout the world, according to Bill Moore, Knoxville area volunteer team leader for Water Mission, who spoke during RCF’s regular meeting in Fox Den Country Club Wednesday, Jan. 12.
“I started following the charity on LinkedIn because it was one of the charities I’m thinking about moving into — a nonprofit role full time,” said Kinson, a managing partner with MK Tax Services Inc. in Farragut. “This is one charity I was really attracted to because, A, where it’s putting its work; B, that it’s connected with Christian faith; and (C), almost every dollar goes to help the community. It’s not being absorbed into some kind of overhead.
“About three months ago, I was on LinkedIn and I saw they were setting up a Walk for Water in Knoxville,” he added. “I thought, ‘Oh, my God, my family is going to want to be there,’ so count us in, and they reached out to me.
“I kept running into this charity three times this year. I felt like it was put into my path.”
Kinson, who is on the advocacy side of the team, said he is thrilled.
“It was a rigorous process” to become a team member, he added. “I’ve been through much less stressful job interviews. They really interview you to make sure you’re a good fit, so I knew they were serious about what they are doing.”
Although a date for the event has not been set, Kinson and other team members are looking for an anchor church to hold Walk For Water.
“We’re just getting started,” he said. “I want this to be the best first satellite (event) that Water Mission has. If this goes well here, they’re going to do the walk in other cities as well.”
Since the founding of Water Mission in 2001 in Charleston, South Carolina by George and Molly Green, “Water Mission has executed 3,000 projects and helped about 7 million people in 57 different countries,” Moore said.
He added WM has a long relationship with Rotary Clubs.
“About 17 or 18 years ago, the two organizations started working together,” Moore said. “Over time, through the Rotary Global Grants program, $4.6 million has been directed toward Water Mission on projects … in 13 different countries.”
While RCF have not had members traveling with Water Mission, last year the club did participate in obtaining a Heart to Heart grant to improve water in Mexican cities, the Rev. David Bluford, RCF president, said.
For more information on Water Missions, call Moore, 865-770-1863 or send an e-mail to moorehomes54@gmailcom
