I first met Karry in 2011, when she joined her daughter’s classroom for a presentation I was giving about local and global water issues, and how kids could make a difference. That day, I brought pen pal letters from children in Uganda. Karry’s daughter received a letter from a child named Denis and immediately wanted to write back to him directly. In all these years, it remains the only time a student asked to respond to the exact child who had written them. It was very sweet.

That moment became the beginning of a long and meaningful friendship between the Hatch family and Drink Local Drink Tap. Over the years, their support has helped advance our water, sanitation, and hygiene work in Uganda—improving education, keeping children in school, protecting their health, and giving them a better chance at life.

The Hatch family’s commitment has only grown. Their daughter has interned with our organization multiple times. Karry has traveled to Uganda twice to be part of this work firsthand. And the entire family has been a steady, generous, and heartfelt advocate for our mission.

As an organization, we are honored to celebrate the Hatch family and to thank Karry and Jonathan for their trust, investment, time, and belief in this mission over so many years.

-Erin Huber
Founder and Executive Director of Drink Local Drink Tap

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This month, an unforgettable journey unfolded in Uganda as five remarkable teen girls from the Frogang Foundation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joined Drink Local Drink Tap (DLDT) for a unique WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) immersion experience. Led by DLDT’s Executive Director, Erin Huber Rosen, and UrbanKind Institute’s Dr. Jamil Bey, with inspiration and vision from Clara Kitongo, this collaborative trip became more than just travel. It became a powerful journey of learning, cultural exchange, and personal growth.

The trip was designed to connect young changemakers with the real-world challenges and inspiring solutions surrounding clean water and sanitation access in rural Uganda. From the beginning, the warmth and generosity of the Ugandan communities welcomed Frogang with open arms, turning the journey into an experience rooted in mutual respect and trust.

Every day has brought new discoveries and challenges. The girls have engaged directly in WASH-related activities, visiting rural schools, learning about sanitation infrastructure, and even trying their hands at construction tasks like mixing cement and painting. They’ve walked in the shoes of the local students, experiencing the physical strain of carrying heavy jerrycans of water, and the joy of seeing firsthand what access to clean water and safe toilets means for kids their age.

But what has touched the DLDT team the most are the moments of reflection captured in regular video check-ins. These interviews have revealed the emotional depth of the trip, filled with tears, laughter, insight, and a growing sense of global responsibility.

Some of the girls’ reflections have stood out:

• “I am so happy we can actually do something to help people get clean water. When we asked the kids at the rural schools why they were excited to get clean water and toilets, they said because they can go to class and learn.”

• “I now know how to mix cement and paint, so I can do construction now!”

• “Carrying water is so heavy and hard, I couldn’t finish the walk and wanted to give up. I am so glad we are helping!”

• “DLDT listens to community priorities and you can tell it’s genuine trust that’s been built everywhere we go. It feels really good.”

These reflections show that this experience is transforming not only the communities they’re supporting, but the girls themselves.

As Frogang continues on their journey, they’re also on a mission to give back. Their goal? Raise enough funds to fully support WASH projects at two rural Ugandan schools. With more than half their fundraising goal already met, they’re asking for a final push of support to help them finish strong.

💧 Want to support their mission? Help these young leaders bring clean water and sanitation to schools that need it most:
👉 Donate here

Together, we’re raising up the next generation of global changemakers- and proving that when young people are given a chance to lead, they can create ripples of change that travel far and wide.

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CLEVELAND, June 20, 2025– Drink Local Drink Tap, the Cleveland-based nonprofit, is proud to recognize Lauren Rich Fine with the 2025 Changemaker Award at the 12th Annual Giving Splash Party on November 6th, 2025. Each year, Drink Local Drink Tap selects an organization, company, or people who have gone above and beyond as supporters and stewards of clean water. Recipients of the Changemaker Award have shown an unwavering commitment to Drink Local Drink Taps’ mission and programs and continue to inspire passion for our future goals.

Lauren serves as a Partner at Beatrice Advisors, focusing on Investments and Business Development. Lauren brings decades of expertise to her role, with a career spanning leadership roles in equity research, wealth management, and executive search. At Beatrice, Lauren will play a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s reach and enhancing its investment strategies. She will co-lead the business development process, focusing on generating new leads and expanding Beatrice’s client base. Lauren will also spearhead various projects and contribute to the design of processes related to the management and operations of the business, leveraging her extensive experience in finance and strategic planning. Furthermore, she will provide valuable support on the investment side as a member of the Investment Committee, drawing from her deep expertise in equity research and investment management.

Before joining Beatrice, Lauren worked at Gries Financial Partners, where, as part of the leadership team, she contributed to business development and strategic planning while advising clients on their investment portfolios. Previously, she spent nearly 20 years at Merrill Lynch as a Managing Director in equity research. During her tenure, she earned the top spot in her coverage universe on the Institutional Investor All-American Research Team for 11 consecutive years and was on the team for 14 years. Lauren later transitioned to executive search consulting with Howard & O’Brien, specializing in C-Suite and board placements.

Lauren holds a B.A. from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Passionate about civic engagement, she serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, College Now, and University Hospitals’ Eastern Region Board, and has served on more than a dozen other non-profit boards. She is on the Board of Private Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial. She is also active in supporting Cleveland’s startup ecosystem and mentoring young entrepreneurs.

A longtime advocate for the arts and community development, Lauren splits her time between New York and Cleveland.

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CLEVELAND, September 12, 2024 — Drink Local Drink Tap, the Cleveland-based nonprofit, is proud to recognize Tom Skerl with the 2024 Changemaker Award at the 11th Annual Giving Splash Party on November 14th, 2024. Each year, Drink Local Drink Tap selects an organization, company, or people who have gone above and beyond as supporters and stewards of clean water. Recipients of the Changemaker Award have shown an unwavering commitment to Drink Local Drink Taps’ mission and programs and continue to inspire passion for our future goals.

Thomas Skerl is a proud native Clevelander who has made Chagrin Falls his home. He’s a dedicated father of two who graduated from St. Ignatius High School and was a marketing major from Bowling Green State University. After an 18-year tenure as Vice President of Sales at Northcoast Business Systems, a leading office equipment company, he embraced his entrepreneurial spirit in 2005 by founding Pure Water Technology in Cleveland, Ohio. This innovative business focuses on providing environmentally friendly, “bottle-free” drinking water purifiers aimed at enhancing workplace hydration. His efforts have significantly impacted over 20,000 companies across major markets in the U.S., particularly in Cleveland, helping them reduce their carbon footprint while promoting the health and wellness of their workforce.

In 2015 the City of Cleveland honored Pure Water Technology with its distinguished Sustainable Cleveland Award, celebrating its role in eliminating over 25,000,000 plastic water bottles at civic events, festivals, fundraisers, and businesses, showcasing a commitment to sustainability. Pure Water Technology, now proudly rebranded as Hydrate HQ, has been recognized as a seven-time Weatherhead 100 Fastest Growing Company and a five-time Top 50 Great Place to Work in Northeast Ohio. Tom is deeply involved with various charitable organizations, including Drink Local Drink Tap and was inducted into the Cleveland JRC Softball Hall of Fame.

It brings us great pleasure to honor him with the 2024 Drink Local Drink Tap Changemaker Award. To purchase tickets (by October 23rd) or donate to Annual Giving Splash Party, visit bit.ly/AGSPDLDT

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Since 2010, Drink Local Drink Tap has worked both domestically in Northeast Ohio and internationally in Uganda to improve water equity and quality. Over 50,000 people now have access to clean water and over 17,000 people have sanitation as a result of Drink Local Drink Tap’s projects in Uganda. With the help of Cleveland-based volunteers, Drink Local Drink Tap has also removed over 16,000 pounds of trash through beach clean-ups and engaged over 24,000 young people in doing so. Our mission is to improve water equity through projects, programming, and partnerships because we believe clean water is a human right. Website: drinklocaldrinktap.org

Contact Erin Huber – erin@drinklocaldrinktap.org, Drink Local Drink Tap, Executive Director

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Drink Local Drink Tap’s sustainable water projects are important because water is a human right. Building new water sources is easy, but making them last takes investment in humans and relationships. Drink Local Drink Tap focuses on human connection at schools, in slums, and at refugee camps. Over half of the hospital beds in the world are filled with people who are sick because of waterborne illness. Together, we can change that.

Learn more: Drink Local Drink Tap Water Equity projects

Learn more: Image A Day Without Water

The post BLOG | Imagine a Day Without Water appeared first on Drink Local Drink Tap.

Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. EPA has also developed national water quality criteria recommendations for pollutants in surface waters.

Learn more: EPA Office of Water

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CLEVELAND October 13, 2023 — Drink Local Drink Tap (DLDT), the Cleveland-based nonprofit, is proud to share the exciting milestone that we have officially reached 51,141 people with clean water in Uganda. This remarkable achievement was commemorated at the 10th Annual Giving Splash Party on Saturday, September 21, 2023. This milestone is halfway to reaching 100,000 people with clean water by 2030, which was announced by Drink Local Drink tap director and founder Erin Huber in 2022.

To date, DLDT has completed 136 WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) projects, each with unique solutions specifically chosen based on the needs of their partner communities in rural Uganda. DLDT’s clean water systems include: piped water systems, deep boreholes (well), rainwater harvesting systems, and drinking water filtration, and our sanitation solutions include ventilated improved pit latrines, bathing facilities, hand washing facilities, and community WASH training. Most projects are located at rural schools to improve education, girls’ equity, and health to achieve human rights.

DLDT’s executive director and founder, Erin Huber, states that “We approach our work with care and in culturally appropriate ways while moving at the speed of trust in communities and schools. We will continue to be mindful, diligent partners as we create sustainable WASH projects in rural Uganda to break cycles of poverty and improve human rights.” The journey to reach 50,000 individuals has been a collaborative effort, and DLDT would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to its dedicated team, supporters, partners, and volunteers who have played a crucial role in making this achievement possible.

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Since 2010, DLDT has worked both domestically in Northeast Ohio and internationally in Uganda to improve water equity and quality. Over 51,141 people now have access to clean water and over 16,082 people have sanitation due to Drink Local Drink Tap’s projects in Uganda. With the help of Cleveland-based volunteers, Drink Local Drink Tap has also removed over 16,508 pounds of trash through beach clean-ups and engaged over 21,948 young people through its Wavemaker Program. Our mission is to solve global water equity through education, advocacy, and community-centered water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.  We envision A world with equal access to clean, safe water for all. 

Website: drinklocaldrinktap.org  

Contact: Erin Huber Drink Local Drink Tap, Executive Director & Founder erin@drinklocaldrinktap.org

The post NEWS | Halfway to goal: Drink Local Drink Tap reaches over 50,000 people with clean water appeared first on Drink Local Drink Tap.

Erin Huber – Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Today at #WWWeek, I saw floating sanitation systems for schools, and heard from people from The Gambia, the Federal Republic of Somalia, many parts of Central and South America including the Amazon, and Australia, South Africa, and Slovenia. The highlight of my day was seeing my friend and hero Radhika Fox on the main stage for the ‘High-Level Panel on Innovative Approaches to Support Peace and Conflict Prevention’ It was special not only to see her but to see the US Government represented here in Stockholm (outside of USAID). I hope to see the US more involved in #WWWeek and other global conversations with practitioners, banks, NGOs, and policymakers in the climate and water spaces and that we can all move forward toward global water equity and climate resiliency, fast.

How do we do this? Former Prime Minister and current chair of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Stefan Löfven said it passionately, simply, and best:

“It’s a smart investment as well as pure solidarity, to lift up the poorest countries and people. It betters everyone everywhere – we have to change our mindset on development and aid. We have to collaborate and find common ground where we can cooperate to build a safer, equitable world.”

Radhika, thank you for sharing both the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) equity struggles and progress in the US and for all of the work the EPA is doing to advance water equity in a climate-resilient way.

#WASHEquity #WaterEquity #WASH #ClimateResilience

#ConflictManagement #WaterForAll #PeaceBuilding

#Water #WaterScarcity #WaterStress #SDGs2030 #Peace

The post BLOG | Erin’s takeaways from 2023 World Water Week In Stockholm appeared first on Drink Local Drink Tap.

CLEVELAND, August 17, 2023 — Drink Local Drink Tap, the Cleveland-based nonprofit, is proud to recognize Patrick Conway and Daniel Conway with the 2023 Changemaker Award at the 10th Annual Giving Splash Party on Saturday, September 21, 2023. Each year, Drink Local Drink Tap selects an organization, company, or people who have gone above and beyond as supporters and stewards of clean water. Recipients of the Changemaker Award have shown an unwavering commitment to Drink Local Drink Taps’ mission and programs and continue to inspire passion for our future goals. 

Patrick Conway’s long love affair with beer began during his tenure as a graduate student at the University of Chicago when he got a job as a bartender to pay his bills. He was inspired by the craft beer movement in America and returned to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to pursue his dream of opening Ohio’s first craft brewery. Daniel Conway, a John Carroll University graduate with a background in banking, joined Patrick in developing their business. The two brothers chose to set up shop in Ohio City, opening Great Lakes Brewing Company, where their fledgling operation would grow into a top 20 U.S. craft brewery. Since 1988, Great Lakes Brewing Company has been a pioneer in sustainability. Conserving resources, powering their production with renewable energy, investing in urban farming and local food, repurposing byproducts, and water stewardship. Great Lakes Brewing Company targeted 1% of sales to donate to environmental and philanthropic organizations. 

In 2000, Patrick Conway and a group of passionate Greater Cleveland locals founded The Burning River Foundation. Since then, The Burning River Foundation has raised almost a million dollars through their event Burning River Fest which contributed to the revitalization of the historic Coast Guard Station and local philanthropic organizations focused on the environment and clean water. The Burning River Fest began as an environmental festival but it evolved because the Conway Brothers felt it was vital to bring people to the waterfront. “You can’t protect what you don’t love, so first we must make people fall in love with our waterfront”. The Burning River Foundation has been a dedicated donor and partner of Drink Local Drink Tap. The foundation first supported Drink Local Drink Tap in 2011, just one year after the organization’s founding. Patrick Conway and Daniel Conway have invested in our mission, projects, and programs in enormous ways throughout the last 13 years. It brings us great pleasure to honor them with the 2023 Drink Local Drink Tap Changemaker Award. To purchase tickets (by Sept 12th) or donate to Annual Giving Splash Party, visit bit.ly/AGSPDLDT

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Since 2010, Drink Local Drink Tap has worked both domestically in Northeast Ohio and internationally in Uganda to improve water equity and quality. Over 49,119 people now have access to clean water and over 16,082 people have sanitation as a result of Drink Local Drink Tap’s projects in Uganda. With the help of Cleveland-based volunteers, Drink Local Drink Tap has also removed over 15,154 pounds of trash through beach clean-ups and engaged over 21,500 young people in doing so. Our mission is to improve water equity through projects, programming, and partnerships because we believe clean water is a human right.  Website: drinklocaldrinktap.org 

Contact Erin Huber – erin@drinklocaldrinktap.org, Drink Local Drink Tap, Executive Director

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Since 2010, Drink Local Drink Tap (DLDT) has hosted 127 clean-ups in neighborhoods and on Lake Erie beaches. At the conclusion of Drink Local Drink Tap’s 2022 Summer clean-up season, over 1,300 volunteers helped pick up over 2,000 pounds of trash during the 31 clean-ups. These efforts pushed the organization’s grand total over half a million pieces of trash, which is over 15,000 pounds. Drink Local Drink Tap thanks, Moen, for being our official beach cleanup partner this year.

During Drink Local Drink Tap beach clean-ups, volunteers track categories of garbage and report the data to The Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach program. This data is studied to better understand the health of public spaces and to advocate for Great Lakes conservation.

Cleaning up local beaches such as Edgewater and Perkins beaches not only make these parks safer for friends and families to enjoy throughout the year, but it also protects the Great Lakes ecosystem by minimizing the amounts of plastics that fish and birds can ingest. Given the sensitivity of aquatic ecosystems, removing trash from beaches helps maintain the natural biodiversity found in Lake Erie. Taking care of our local water sources is growing more and more important as severe climate events affect countries around the world.

Help us reach ONE MILLION PIECES! Information about the Drink Local Drink Tap 2023 Summer Cleanup Season will be announced later this winter. To learn more and get involved in future DLDT beach cleanups, please sign up for our monthly newsletter: bit.ly/DLDTNewsletter

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Since 2010, Drink Local Drink Tap has worked both domestically in Northeast Ohio and internationally in Uganda to improve water equity and quality. Over 42,000 people now have access to clean water and over 16,000 people have sanitation as a result of Drink Local Drink Tap’s water infrastructure projects in Uganda. With the help of Cleveland-based volunteers, Drink Local Drink Tap has also removed over 15,000 pounds of trash through beach cleanups and engaged over 18,500 young people in doing so. Our mission is to improve water equity through projects, programming, and partnerships because we believe clean water is a human right.

Website: drinklocaldrinktap.org
Contact: Erin Huber – erin@drinklocaldrinktap.org
Drink Local Drink Tap, Executive Director

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