'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
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.