Meet Brian Marshall | Founder & C.E.O/President of The Clear Water Project Inc.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Marshall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’m a full-time worship leader at a well-known church in the Phoenix, AZ area. Weekend after weekend I was continually asked what my real job was. This was startling to me because I had worked very hard for 17 years to reach this point. None the less, it made me believe I could do something more to impact the world around me. Especially due to the fact that I was blessed to come into contact with thousands of people each weekend.

As I thought about the possibilities, I remembered my Uncle Jesse Ramirez, the man who taught me everything I know about music and worship leading. He runs a local food bank and has done so for as long as I can remember. I thought to myself, he already helps people get food, why can’t I help people get water? Two things that we as humans cannot live without.

Thus, The Clear Water Project was born.

Although I do not make any money from helping those who go without water, I have been more than excited to share our efforts with those who ask me the famous question. What is your real job?

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We started small by delivering water bottles once a month to a feeding kitchen in the barrio of San Rafael, located in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. We were serving underprivileged children who had drug addicted or absent parents. We were also privileged to serve immigrants who had traveled from their hometowns in hopes of work, who arrived and quickly discovered that work was not as readily available as they had been led to believe.

We also partnered with the home building organization, i6eight, who is based in Puerto Penasco, and helped raised funds to ensure that every home came complete with indoor plumbing. Which included a functional shower, toilet, and sink. A necessity that many families in the area were and are living without. To date we are grateful to have helped nearly 50 families.

With i6eight’s help we have also maintained a reverse osmosis water filtration system that provides clean drinking water for the roughly 1,000 families living in the area for FREE.

In 2020 we were presented with a new challenge as the U.S./Mexico border shutdown in response to Covid. With this challenge came new opportunity. Our desire to keep helping communities in need of water encouraged our partners at i6eight to introduce us to leaders within the Navajo Nation. This sparked new projects and we have been assisting in Navajo Nation ever since. Many families and businesses within the Nation live without easy access to clean water and sanitation needs. Our efforts have consisted of agreeing to help six churches receive bathroom facilities that include showers and water filling stations. The number one reason we were excited to assist the churches was because we believed it would foster confidence and trust within the community and allow us to meet and assist Navajo citizens who were in need of these vital resources at a personal level.

To date, we have completed one church project in Navajo Nation, met many families in need, and are well on our way to completing our second project.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
While in Puerto Penasco it’s always fun to hit Sandy Beach. There are plenty of local vendors selling all sorts of things, from food to henna tattoos. There is also an assortment of activities to try like jet skiing or paragliding. Rosy’s Restaurant is also a locally owned spot that is great for breakfast.

While in Navajo Nation definitely be sure to check out Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. The views and scenery are amazing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout my family, all the donors, volunteers, and board members over the years who have moved us forward. More specifically, a special shoutout to my business partner and right-hand man, Richard Perez.

Website: www.theclearwaterproject.com

Instagram: @theclearwaterproject

Facebook: @theclearwaterproject