'The government hasn't been here to help': B.C. farm becomes hub of hope for flood victims
On a dairy farm in Abbotsford, B.C., there is something you might not expect to find.
Inside one of the buildings is a shop converted into a gathering place that's become a hub of hope for flood victims.
“People are lost. People don’t have money coming in right now. They don’t have insurance. They need help,” explained Allison Arends who lives at the farm in the Sumas Prairie.
And help is what Arends has been offering flood victims for about 10 weeks now, ever since last year’s catastrophic floods left people’s lives in shambles.
“It just kind of snowballed into this,” she said, as she surveyed the shop where there are tables and tables of donated goods, everything from groceries to cleaning supplies and footwear. Hot lunch is served six days a week.
Arends is supported by a small army of volunteers and a generous community.
“I would talk to local restaurants and churches. Everybody donated. I had the whole month full for 100 meals to feed a day. This month I’m more up for 50 (meals daily)," she said.
But volunteers dish up more than donations.
“We provide a listening ear. We can give them a hug. People can be here and be themselves, meet their neighbours they haven’t met,” explained Arends.
They are sentiments echoed by Julianne Borne of Chilliwack Bowls of Hope who dropped off the meals on the day CTV News was there.
“The need for a place for community to gather has been important since day one in all of this. Emotional, mental support as well as the physical supports of food ready to go,” Borne said.
The shop at Crossroads Dairy Farm has become a place for those hit hard by the floods to not only share a meal, but also share their stories and perhaps find healing.
Arthur Deleeuw, who lives in Arnold, said the water came up six feet on his property last November.
“We have a free range chicken operation and we lost all of them,” he said.
“It’s pretty traumatic. I’m not going to lie."
He’s stopped by Crossroads a handful of times.
“It’s nice to connect with the people here. Everybody’s got stories, traumatic stories,” Deleeuw said.
Meanwhile, Arends says the people of Sumas Prairie are still suffering because of what they’ve been through.
“It’s stress. For these people it’s constant stress,” an emotional Arends said.
“There’s so many that are not in their homes. There’s so many that are living in places with family, lots of people still in hotels.”
She’s vocal about her disappointment in all levels of government.
“The government hasn’t been here to help. The city has hardly been here to help,” she said.
But she believes where governments have failed, the community has pulled people back together again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.