What is a Cupbearer?

Steve Demaree (right) and Omar Marroquin (left), In-Country Director for Guatemala

What does someone with a passion for clean water and a focus on building operational efficiency do when they learn about Living Waters for the World (LWW)? Well, if you are Steve Demaree of Germantown, Tennessee, you jump in with both feet!

Steve is an entrepreneur who also has an extensive experience working with nonprofits in the Memphis, Tennessee area and beyond. He has had a passion for sharing clean water with people in need for over a decade, and although he has only been involved with LWW since 2015, he is leaving an indelible mark on the ministry and the people LWW serves. In addition to volunteering with LWW in a variety of roles, Steve is also a Cupbearer – a monthly donor to Living Waters for the World. Steve advocated for the creation of the Cupbearer monthly giving program and even offered a matching grant (twice!) to encourage others to join. (New Cupbearers that sign up in September will have their first month's gift matched!) Today, the number of Cupbearers continues to grow as people sign on to provide essential and consistent income to keep clean water flowing all year long. Steve said, “Working with nonprofits, I understand the need for a consistent revenue stream to help them better manage their budgets. Providing a monthly gift makes greater sense to help the nonprofit meet its obligations.” When Steve was invited by Bonnie Blair, fellow Farmington Presbyterian Church (of Germantown, TN) member, to get involved with LWW’s Development and Awareness Team, Steve said, “It was an easy ‘yes.’” He jumped right in and joined this volunteer team in helping promote LWW to potential water teams and donors. His business acumen was quickly identified as an asset, so just over one year after he started volunteering, he was asked to join the board of directors. Again, Steve said “yes.”

Steve (center) listens as Omar translates the story of Isabel (in red), a mother who uses water from the LWW system at San Bartolome School in Guatemala.

He recalled, “In my early stages of involvement with Living Waters, I attended Clean Water U and was blown away by the level of experience and professionalism of what is brought to the table for the volunteers. That confirmed for me that this is an organization that has direction and can provide the tools for interested parties to go off and do some good things in the world.”

Steve (third from left) and the group of volunteers who trained in the 101 track at Clean Water U in April 2016

In addition to sharing clean water with communities in need, Steve is intent on helping LWW improve the efficiency of its operation, helping partners share clean water faster, farther, and longer than ever before. So, it’s no surprise that he is a Cupbearer. His monthly gifts mean that more children like those he met at San Bartolome School in Guatemala have “the ability to learn and not have to stay at home sick because of having to drink tainted water.”