Chip & Lucy Swab: A Tale of Dedication, Engagement, and Impact
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First in a series
Chip & Lucy Swab
A Tale of Dedication, Engagement, and Impact
San Miguel de Allende, with its cobblestone streets and colonial charm, casts a magical hold on most who set foot here. But for Chip and Lucy Swab, this town became more than just a picturesque haven; it became an opportunity to make a difference.
Witnessing the Impact
Chip and Lucy arrived in this charming town in October of 2011, marking the beginning of their now 12-year tenure in the community.
Their journey of community engagement began with an array of local initiatives, including their involvement with "Feed the Hungry," an organization that provides nutritious meals to children in rural schools. Through his work, Chip came face to face with the pressing issue of water scarcity and contamination in the region. While coordinating the delivery of food to schools, Chip noticed the precarious state of water sources in many of the rural communities:
“That's where I got a vision of some of the problems with water out in these communities. I've literally seen their wells fail and collapse. The aquifer that we get water from keeps falling. And so these communities have to have water literally trucked in… I got a sense pretty quickly of what an issue water was, especially out in the rural communities.”
This firsthand experience ignited Chip and Lucy's determination to address the water crisis that looms over the region and they became early Caminos de Agua collaborators.
A Commitment to Raising Awareness
Around six years ago, a close friend introduced Chip and Lucy to Caminos de Agua, and our dedication to tackling water-related issues. Their involvement with Caminos brought them to witness the organization's impact up close by visiting several communities benefiting from water projects as well as learning more about Caminos technology and educational and awareness-building programs, which is where Chip and Lucy’s support of Caminos is rooted:
“You've got to get educated, and we feel it's important to support Caminos’ efforts because you've obviously tapped into these multiple resources and become much more effective – both in helping communities, but also in getting the knowledge out that people need to have about where their water comes from, what the levels of contamination are… contamination that’ s affecting young people's bones, and their teeth, and their health. We take it for granted, but we're not able to live very long without H2O. It's a critical part of our existence… if there's anything that we can do to raise awareness, we make a major investment.”
Because of this belief, Chip and Lucy have sponsored our annual match campaigns for the past five years, helping spread the word and get new people involved and informed of our growing water crisis and its true impacts on people and communities. As Chip states,
“You're investing in your own well-being, because you're investing in your community; it's an important opportunity to get involved.”
Supporting San Miguel's Future
Chip and Lucy Swab have become exemplars of committed community engagement. Their dedication to addressing water issues in the region serves as a poignant reminder that access to clean, safe drinking water is not a luxury but a fundamental human right. In supporting Caminos de Agua's vital work, they are not only improving lives today but also safeguarding the future of San Miguel de Allende and its surrounding communities for everybody.
“San Miguel continues to grow, putting further strain on the aquifer that supplies our water… Everywhere in the world, water is becoming more and more of a diminishing resource, and we are happy that we can contribute our thimble’s worth of resources to leverage others to act as well and, together, help address the issue in Guanajuato.”
