Skip to content

Langley donating to help flooded out Fraser Valley neighbours

Here’s some of the local campaigns started to help victims of the flooding and mudslides
27228571_web1_211118-LAT-HC-FloodHelpCampaigns-._2
Christ Covenant Church started accepting donations for flood victims. (Church Facebook page)

Langley is stepping up to help neighbours in the eastern Fraser Valley hard hit by the flooding and storms.

Several campaigns are underway.

• Christ Covenant Church in Langley has been accepting donations and is receiving lots of support to provide goods to Chilliwack and elsewhere. It is open until noon Thursday to accept donations at 6866 Glover Rd.

“We’re really proud with how Langley show up,” said Jonah McFarlane, one of the volunteers taking part in the church campaign.

If the church has future opportunities to donate, it will post the information on its Facebook page as the situation is ever evolving, he said.

McFarlanenoted that when talking to the Chilliwack Food Bank, it is in desperate need of goods and that store shelves are bare are that community.

He said helicopters are cued up to airlift the donations to those who need them but there are flight restrictions impacting this. They are also investigating possible safe truck or overland routes.

“We want to make sure that when we take donations, we can use them,” McFarlane said.

The church is working to arrange transport of the donations to where they are needed most.

In addition to Chilliwack, the church is in contact with helpers in Hope who say they have many donations, though they do need baby food, and must keep their primary focus on helping the stranded.

Included in the flood campaign is support from several local businesses and former MP Tamara Jansen and her family who showed up with a load of donations.

This is not the first time the church has worked to help others.

“We talk a lot about this,” he said. “We talk about when these things arise, how can be be there to help?”

In its commercial kitchen, the church helps feed local people through the Lookout Society which runs local hotels for the homeless.

“Once a month we do a huge meal prep day, and we bring them all meals,” he said.

• Otter Co-op and Angry Otter Liquor will be collecting donations at all locations for the Red Cross. Donations will be to support those in need and affected by the flooding. Total donations will be matched up to $10,000. Federated Co-operatives Ltd., the umbrella group for co-ops such as Otter is also matching donations as well up to $10,000.

The co-op has donation boxes available at all of its open food and liquor stores.

“We want to assist those who have been affected by the flooding in B.C.,” the co-op posted on its social media. “The donation boxes located at all the tills in our retail stores will be going to Red Cross who is working so hard to help those in need. We appreciate and thank all those frontline workers who have been working tirelessly for all of our safety.”

• South Langley’s Critter Care Wildlife Society is also feeling the impact of the flooding and posted information to help the public on social media:

“We are working relentlessly to help assist with the large volume off calls for animal rescues. Unfortunately due to the floods we are unable to reach parts of Abbotsford and Chilliwack at this time. We are constantly monitoring the road conditions for access. If you come across an injured animal in these areas, don’t hesitate to call us for further instructions.”

• Lee’s Donuts – the new donut shop in Willowbrook Shopping Centre has a special fundraiser Friday, Nov. 19.

“Our hearts and thoughts go out to everyone affected by the floods in B.C. right now. We’ll be donating $1 of every box of donuts (six pack or 12 pack) sold at our Willowbrook and Granville Island locations on Friday, Nov 19 to Red Cross. Come by, support our community, and eat some donuts,” the donut shop posted on Facebook. “PS. If you’d like to donate to Red Cross directly, text BCFLOODS to 30333.”

• United Way British Columbia – working with communities in BC’s Interior, Lower Mainland, Central and Northern Vancouver Island, has established the United for BC Flood Response Fund, www.donate.uwbc.ca/flood.

• The Salvation Army has launched a massive emergency response. Emergency units are on the ground in six of the hardest hit communities across the province providing food, hydration, shelter, clothing, and blankets to first responders, evacuees, and flood victims.

“We have been on the ground since day one in the hardest hit communities,” said Mike Leland spokesperson for the Salvation Army in B.C. “We have several of our trained emergency response units actively supporting the impacted communities. Our feeding trucks are there, we have been airlifting in meals, and we have set up evacuation centres in communities to receive victims of the floods.”

With six emergency response vehicles in the field and evacuation centres open, the group is on the front lines in Kelowna, Kamloops, Chilliwack, and Abbotsford, while locations in Maple Ridge and Abbotsford have been working around the clock to supply communities with food, hydration, and blankets. To date, it has provided close to 10,000 meals to those being impacted, as well as those first responders who are on the ground. They also mobilized two more emergency vehicles on standby in case the weather begins to change once again.

• The Canadian Red Cross has launched the British Columbia Floods and Extreme Weather Appeal. People can make donations online at www.redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

• Joseph Richard Group which has restaurants in many Lower Mainland communities is organizing a meal and food delivery.

“Thankful that our team, friends and family in Abby and Chilliwack are ok but it sounds like there’s still many left stranded without food and shelter,” said JRG founder Ryan Richard Moreno. “Farmers have lost animals, people have been displaced from their homes and many businesses have been closed due to flooding.”

The company has arranged for food and meal drops at two sites that are accommodating evacuees from the Chilliwack area.

“We will be making a large grocery order tommorow for our teams to assemble meals and bagged lunches,” he said.

Anyone who has supplies or non perishable food items they wish to donate can drop off their items at the @thisisthehenry in Cloverdale and JRG will add it to the Friday delivery. People can eTransfer to e-transfer to ryan@jrg.ca.

“Anyway that you can support means the world,” Moreno said.

.

Watch for updates as more information becomes available.

.

• MORE FLOOD CAMPAIGNS: Several online fundraisers started for Abbotsford area flood victims

• READ MORE: Langley church collects food and water for Hope

• HELP FOR ANIMALS: LAPS offers assistance to pet owners

.


Have a story tip? Email: heather.colpitts@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


Heather Colpitts

About the Author: Heather Colpitts

Since starting in the news industry in 1992, my passion for sharing stories has taken me around Western Canada.
Read more