Int’l Church organization extends Helping Hand to Soowahlie First Nation in Canada

BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada — Through an Aid to Humanity event held this October in Chilliwack, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) or Church Of Christ provided several hundred care packages, which included basic food necessities, face masks and shields, school supplies, and personal hygiene items, to more than 200 members of the Soowahlie First Nation.

Brenda Wallace, Soowahlie elected chief and band administrator, explained that although their community consists of “quite a bit of people that are employed,” still, they “also have a lot of people that are unemployed, single parents, and a multitude of elders and low income families.”

“Covid-19 did definitely affect us. I mean, there are people [who] lost jobs. There are people [who] had to stay home because their kids had to be home from school. We really, really realized that our community needed help,” she said.

This is where the INC steps in—helping those who may be in need. The INC conducts humanitarian outreach programs in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Soowahlie chief Wallace thanked the Church Of Christ for its humanitarian effort to their community.  She also received a cheque donation from the Church Of Christ that will help their community.

“It’s just amazing to see that there are groups of people like the Church Of Christ that reached out to us! That still shows that there’s humanity left in this world, and that people still care for us as First Nations people. There [will always] be brighter days and people like (those from) the Church Of Christ [who] are going to be caring people, and love us,” she said.

Other members of the Soowahlie First Nation also expressed their gratitude to the Church Of Christ humanitarian efforts to their group, especially at this time of the pandemic.  They thanked the Church and its Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, for the help extended to them

Wayne Kelly, a 75-year-old beneficiary of the event, said that this made him realize that there are still good people out there, even though they came from different origins, who would want to help his family.