Toronto’s Filipino Community Sending Aid Back Home
Posted October 12, 2009 5:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On a day of Thanksgiving, Toronto’s Filipino community is counting their blessings – and remembering those less fortunate.
Two massive storms – Tropical Storm Ketsana was followed one week later by Typhoon Parma – wreaked havoc on the Philippines earlier this month.
So far, the death toll has soared to over 600. Many more are missing and rescue efforts are hampered by the devastation of the roads and bridges in the country. The cost of the damages, both in property and crops lost, is estimated at $100 million.
But there is hope.
“No action is useless. This is the time for these people to step up and help their brothers and sisters,” said Arturo Corpus from the Archdiocese of Toronto.
“Mind you, we have all kinds of people here, people from different races and creeds.”
At Our Lady Of Assumption Church, dozens of volunteers to came out to sort and pack clothes and other necessities for the victims of the storms.
“This is one way of celebrating Thanksgiving, by spending their time and their energy and their efforts here to help the poor people in the Philippines, the victims of the typhoon,” adds Rosemer Enverga of the Filipino Catholic Mission.
Cora Nestor’s sister lives in the Philippines, while Cora is in Toronto. She hadn’t spoken to her sibling for a week and wasn’t sure if she survived the floods.
They finally spoke on Sunday night
“She cried and cried and lost everything,” Nestor recounts.
“I told her don’t worry. As long as you’re living, you can find money to buy those things.”
The church group has collected 400 boxes of supplies and $30,000 for relief efforts.
If you want to help, click here, then follow the button on the left-hand side of the page to target your donation toward flood relief.
