Bringing water and romance to those in need

Ever been at work, after 3+ or (12) hours of shooting, producing, or editing some story beat that is perhaps less than enlightening.... and wonder to yourself, 'How can I make the world a better place?" Here's one woman who takes action to do her part, in spite of her crazy busy RTV schedule.  We likey miss Cassie.

Cassie Lambert and the Harlem Globetrotters on a shoot in Venice, California

What is your name, and what do you do?

Cassie Lambert, Senior Producer on ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The last few years have been incredible. The Bachelor is my first reality gig. The schedule is grueling, the travel is incredible, and I often find myself amazed at the topics I’m expected to discuss at work.  There are moments I look around and realize there are twenty-some talented, intelligent adults watching and listening to two people kiss.

Cassie with Bachelorette Jillian Harris in Hawaii

Talk about  some of your favorite places you've visited for work.  What did you love?  What was difficult?

New Zealand and Spain were a total dream to visit for work.   I arrived in New Zealand about ten days before the rest of the production team and as I landed, Obama was announced as our new president.  I found it very cool to be in a different country during this moment.  I was so proud of US Citizens and it felt good to be congratulated by New Zealanders as well.  The world just felt a little bit smaller at that moment.

Regarding work, a freak snowstorm hit New Zealand for the scout and by the time the crew arrived, the weather had reached the 60’s.  A lot of what we had scouted looked significantly different which cannot always be a pleasant surprise.

I know you've traveled for your philanthropic efforts as well.

In October 2006 I traveled with two other founding members of Drop in the Bucket to both Uganda and Kenya.  Our agenda was to meet the local district water authority, scout villages and schools to build water wells, meet local people that could help regulate the building of wells within the community and to oversee the installment of our first well in the small village of Wairasa in the Mayuge District of Uganda. The village has a 1200 person population and relies on sugar cane as a main industry source. The average walk to the nearest water source was 3.4 miles before we installed a well. The inscription on the tile reads "Kwagala" which is the Luganda word for "Love".  Witnessing the villagers' reaction to the new water source inspired DITB to really commit to this cause and keep it a grass roots effort.

The villager's water source before the well was constructed

What are you involved in now?

Since we formed our organization in 2006, Drop in the Bucket has installed approximately 60 wells in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, south Sudan and Chad.  We focus most of our attention at schools now because we have learned that water, sanitation and hygiene all go hand in hand. We have built a number of full sanitation systems in Uganda and south Sudan.

I have yet to return to Africa on behalf of Drop in the Bucket but members of our organization frequent the region.  I plan to go there sometime over the next year to film some of our projects in action.

How do you find the time to do this on such a hectic work/travel schedule?

I was able to donate a lot more of my time to fundraising, meetings, research, etc before I worked on ABC’s The Bachelor and Bachelorette. About two years ago I took over the duty of sending out all the thank you/tax letters to donors.  This is something I’m able to do from the road and it also keeps me abreast of who is donating, how much money we’re raising and where the funds are being allocated.

The first well constructed by Drop in the Bucket

How can other people help?

One of the really cool things about Drop in the Bucket is that anyone can start their own fundraising effort.  They can set a goal such as raising $5500 for one well (which they can name) or $15,000 for a full sanitation system.  This way donors can feel connected to the cause and know exactly where their funds are being used. Please go to www.dropinthebucket.org to check out the website which is really informative and interactive. We’re also on Twitter and Facebook.

Cassie Lambert with her new friends

Drop in the Bucket is a 501 C 3 non-profit organization that was formed in 2006 by a group of ordinary, everyday people. After learning about the deadly water crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, we set out to learn as much as possible about the situation and join in to help find solutions.  In the three years since we formed, we have aligned ourselves with the best and brightest engineers, innovators and experts on African culture and economics, in an effort to better understand the unique challenges associated with the developing world’s water crisis.