TED Talks Daily How one small idea led to $1 million of paid water bills | Tiffani Ashley Bell
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Mar 3, 2023 When faced with a water access crisis in Detroit, Tiffani Ashley Bell took matters into her own hands. She created a grassroots initiative that connected community members with financial support for unpaid water bills. This inspiring tale highlights how small acts of kindness can lead to monumental change and encourages individuals to make a difference. It showcases the power of community engagement, while also addressing the systemic issues underlying the water affordability crisis.
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Detroit Water Crisis
- Tiffani Ashley Bell learned about 100,000 Detroit residents facing water shutoffs due to unpaid bills.
- This sparked a personal urge to help, relating it to the historical denial of basic rights to Black people, especially Black women.
Start Simple
- Identify a problem and consider the simplest, most obvious action to make an impact.
- Tiffani Ashley Bell, a programmer, used her skills and social media to raise awareness and create a platform for paying water bills.
The PDF Discovery
- Bell found a PDF on the water company's website listing customer account numbers.
- This allowed people to directly pay bills, raising over $100,000 in 40 days.