[paypal_donation_button]FLINT, MI — More than 100 Flint water crisis workers filled the auditorium at city hall for questions and answers from the community about a state program aimed at educating residents on how to use water filters today.

“Our CORE team has been around visiting some 88,000 homes more than one time with the purpose of having properly installed filters,” said Paul Newman, program director for the Community Outreach and Resident Education program, also known as CORE. “I should also tell you that this group of women and men would not be sitting here at this time of day. They would be out early in the morning…with teams ready to go in rain, snow (and) windy conditions. Whatever it takes.”

The workers, along with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and program leaders held a press conference at 10 a.m. March 15, 2917 at Flint City Hall to share stories with the community and update the public on how the program is going so far.

“It’s fulfilling to be able to put a smile on someone’s face at the end of the day,” said Eric Peterson who is part of the CORE team. “I’m just grateful to be a part of that.” Workers are deployed neighborhoods where they document their findings including abandoned property information.

In December, Weaver along with CORE officials announced that the program was expanding and officials were looking to fill 160 Flint water crisis jobs paying between $12 to $15 per hour.

CORE officials worked with GST Michigan Works! to fill the jobs with Flint area residents.

Peterson and other workers filled the more than 160 water crisis jobs where teams are deployed on Flint streets to make sure city water customers are using water filters in an effort to make sure residents have clean drinking water while Weaver’s team works on replacing infrastructure in Flint.

The state is continuing efforts to provide water filters and water filter replacement cartridges while city officials work on replacing Flint’s infrastructure under Weaver’s Fast Start program

Weaver launched the Fast Start in March 2016. So far, an estimated 900 homes have had infrastructure replaced under the program.

For more information on the CORE program call (810) 238-6700.