When Hurricane Fiona hit Canada’s Atlantic provinces on September 24-25 last year, World Renew’s Canadian community poured out support for those hit hardest. We consulted with various churches and ministries in the Maritimes, and decided to assist two excellent local ministries with the gifts so generously given by our community.

The first is Undercurrent, a youth support agency in Glace Bay, NS, that assists children and youth dealing with absent parents, mental health concerns, and addiction. Many of the challenging situations faced by young people in this area were made more complex by the effects of Fiona. And Undercurrent itself was severely impacted: “the Abbey” is a former monastic building that was donated to Undercurrent four years ago. This building has since been an integral part of the fabric of Glace Bay, both as a residence and a community centre for young people. But in the hurricane, the Abbey’s roof was demolished, and there has been other damage to the structure and the other two buildings that Undercurrent uses.

With support from people like you, the Abbey will continue to be a community space, as they work to rebuild. Some of the challenges include a number of labour and reconstruction costs that were not covered by insurance, and a great need to house young people. We were able to contribute some of the funds needed to provide those building materials.

The second is the Salvation Army, a ministry that has been present in Nova Scotia for more than 140 years. The funds donated to the Salvation Army helped to provide food assistance to people in the areas across the Maritimes that were hit hardest by Fiona. The demand was tremendous, and together we were able to help restock food banks and ensure families had a meal at Christmas time.

Thank you for being a part of World Renew’s efforts to make a difference for people overcoming tremendous obstacles following this devastating storm.