Rebuilding Together: The Impact of $4.4 Million in Abbotsford Disaster Relief Funds

Thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors, we successfully raised over $4.4 million for the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund (ADRF) to aid our community in recovering and rebuilding from the devastating floods of November 2021. This remarkable achievement was made possible through collaborations with the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and the University of the Fraser Valley. 

This month, we’re launching a series of three blogs, starting with this one, to share stories from our community on what the money did, what it has meant, and how our donors made so many beautiful things happen. 

Over 6,000 donations from individuals, families, farmers, and businesses contributed to this fund and we’ve shared some of the impact these monies have had in our last 3 annual reports – from 2021, 2022, and 2023.  But if you haven’t seen one of those reports, we wanted to share the impact these funds have had to so many people in our community and how they have contributed to recovery and rebuilding efforts over the past ~3 years. 

Last month, we had an opportunity to take a drive with Milt Walker, one of the key folks at Gateway Church who helped us distribute ADRF grants to families on the Sumas Prairie. As we drove to visit recipient families, Milt kept pointing out the homes that had received ADRF monies – ‘oh, we helped that one, and this one over here, and that one there.’

What we heard during that drive through Sumas Prairie was nothing short of profound. There were tears, both from what was lost but also in gratitude for how families had been helped by their own community. In so many cases, the ADRF was the most help families have seen, even after almost 3 years on.

Here’s a snapshot of how we’ve distributed the money so far:

Thanks to this community fund, we have been able to distribute the gifts entrusted to us, in our local community, where the needs have been greatest. We have just over $300,000 left to grant and continue to focus on supporting the rebuild and restoration of our community. Thank you to our many donors and volunteers for making all of this possible. It truly has been a community coming together with neighbours supporting neighbours.

Stay tuned for next week when we share one family’s story of their losses but also their many blessings that came as a result of the floods. 

To learn more about the ADRF and it’s impact, click here.