On November 23rd, a local bank in Abbotsford estimated that the economic cost of the flood will be in excess of $7.5 Billion dollars, which would be the most expensive catastrophe in Canadian history. It will not be a matter of weeks or months to get through this – but years. Even before the flood there was a rising concern for vulnerable populations in the Fraser Valley which includes, but is not limited to, migrant workers, indigenous communities, low income families, and [now] asset rich, money poor families and farmers who have been affected by the flood and may not be eligible for Disaster Relief Services or other forms of federal aid.
The needs are immense, the recovery will be long, and the time to act is now.
Our vision is to provide both HELP and HOPE in the name of Jesus, through the stability of a coalition of local churches. The coalition will identify and meet the unique needs or “GAPS” that other agencies and organizations are not meeting. We envision this team to still be hard at work long after many of these agencies are gone. This is our neighborhood, and we believe that God has placed us here for such a time as this.
