One Atta Time

Our mission is to provide families around the world access to clean drinking water, one at a time.

One ATTA Time started with one child. Following an eye-opening visit to El Salvador in August of 2013 to visit Bryan, his sponsored child who was just 4 years old, Sean Kappauf felt inspired to do more. As he spent time with Bryan and his mother, he learned that it was common for children in Bryan’s community to suffer from illnesses, intestinal parasites, and worms due to contaminated drinking water. This was unsettling for Sean, and so he returned home to figure out he could help.

In February of 2014, and after much research and study, Sean brought a team to El Salvador to train local teenage leaders how to assemble, distribute and maintain 50 water filtration kits for families in need. The trip was successful: The children’s health improved, entire communities thrived, and Sean knew this was only just the beginning.

In 2014, he created One ATTA Time and committed to providing access to clean water to areas in need that would have a lasting impact. The name "One ATTA Time" is inspired by the life of Mother Teresa and serving others "one life at a time" and resonates as the global water crisis can feel overwhelming. As a California-based nonprofit we now travel worldwide, continuously distributing water filter kits to families residing in El Salvador, Vietnam, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Cambodia and have also made visits to Uganda, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, The Caribbean, Fiji, and the United States when the opportunity arose.

Additionally, while the program of "ATTA" is internationally focused, we provide educational programming called "Filter Experiences" to help our local community here in Orange County learn more about the global water crisis and how they can get involved. From schools to churches to businesses, thousands have partnered with us through this program and also helped us assemble filters and write notes of inspiration that then are delivered to those who will receive the filter themselves.

2025 Top Accomplishments:
-Major distributions in El Salvador, Vietnam, Honduras, and Colombia.
-30,000 people gained access to clean drinking water through 6,700 Sawyer water filters distributed to families.
-92% reduction in diarrhea rates in addition to elimination of worms, reduction in headaches, fever, and respiratory illness in various communities.
-Restored social mobility for families: getting time back from caring for sick children missing school; redirecting funds that were spent on medication, plastic water bottles, and lost opportunity from having to miss work; began building businesses supported local economies through our community engagement model.

Top Needs in 2026:
1. $2.5M in existing needs to support 25,000 families/110,000 people who live without access to clean water in El Salvador, Vietnam, Honduras. We have the infrastructure to begin the work.
2. Grow our $1.5M ATTA Endowment to cover operations and opportunity to scale further.
3. Secure sponsorships and underwriting for our 13th annual Fundraiser, "Continuum", taking place on November 7th, 2026 at AV Irvine in Irvine, CA.

Current Programs: El Salvador, Vietnam, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, and Cambodia.
Previous Programs: Uganda, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, The Caribbean, Fiji, and the United States.

One ATTA Time exists to help make an impact to the global water crisis. With all of us working together, we can provide every family basic access to clean drinking water in equitable and affordable solutions. Our process at One ATTA Time is to partner with local leaders and empower them to provide life essentials to those suffering from preventable diseases.