Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have countless words for the wet stuff that falls from the sky. Not only do we take it for granted, many curse the season that arrives as regular as rain each fall.

No matter what you call it, water is essential for all life on Earth. But for more than one billion people, access to clean, safe drinking water is simply unattainable. This means that families must fetch the water they need for cooking, bathing and drinking from polluted lakes and rivers that are often far from their homes.

Without adequate access to clean water, the repercussions for health worldwide are grave. One child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease, more than from any other cause in the world. Almost 50 percent of the developing world’s population — 2.5 billion people — lack proper sanitation facilities.

Water is central not only to life and health, but to economic development, community cohesion, and self-sufficiency. A well that provides clean, potable water means so many things. But most of all it means hope. It can bring an end to rampant diarrhea caused by waterborne disease, or free up hours upon hours of people’s time once dominated by lugging water from faraway streams.

Successful water projects like those run by Episcopal Relief & Development can have an enormous ripple effect. That is why, on October 8, Islanders neighbors and members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church will partner with Episcopal Relief & Development to host a festive evening of turning wine into water to help people in real need. The wine will flow from 7 until 9 p.m. at Emmanuel Church (childcare available on site). All are welcome. To register and for more information, visit http://emmanuelmi.org/sending/wine-into-water.

Jeanette Marshall Petersen

Jr. Warden, Emmanuel Episcopal Church