As of April 6, 2022, Sewa Canada International, with the generous support of donors, volunteers, partners, and provincial/local relief agencies, has successfully raised and provided C$26,500 in aid to victims of the November and December 2021 floods in Southern British Columbia. Every dollar raised was transferred directly to relief efforts on the ground.

The floods in British Columbia were caused by torrential rains that overwhelmed rivers and farmland across the southern part of the province. The situation triggered devastating mudslides, which blocked all major highways connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of Canada. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes, five lives were tragically lost, and thousands of animals perished. To know more about this disaster unfolding in British Columbia Click Here

In response, Sewa Canada International mobilized with the support of several organizations, including HSS Canada, the North American Hindu Association, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Mahalakshmi Temple, and the South Okanagan Hindu Temple. Together, these organizations provided critical aid to the victims of the floods.

Volunteers on the ground worked tirelessly to deliver much-needed relief, including:

• Non-perishable food items
• Medicines
• New warm clothes/ blankets 
• Water bottles 
• Tents, electric heaters 
• Additional essential supplies, as required by the evolving situation

The relief items were procured and airlifted by helicopter to the hardest-hit areas, where volunteers distributed them to the affected communities. In one particularly challenging effort, a team from Calgary, Alberta, braved hazardous conditions to drive a truckload of relief materials to Merritt, BC. Scroll down further to see our work through videos and pictures.