Saskatchewan residents, and those of the southeast region in particular, including the Weyburn region, have an opportunity to "pay it forward" to an extent to help people out in the Philippines who are experiencing the devastation of flooding.
Last spring and summer, residents of Weyburn and area went through flooding on a scale rarely seen here in this part of the province, with the ground being saturated with rain and runoff, and then a deluge of rain causing the Souris and Roughbark and every other stream and tributary in the region to overflow their banks.
The aftermath took residents a long time and a lot of effort to get through, and for some rural land-owners, the issue is an ongoing one, as the water simply has no where to go, no stream or river to flow into.
Thus, when the international news reports passed on videos and stories about the flooding in the southern-most island of Mindanao in the Philippines, an opportunity has presented itself where Canadians can lend a hand, and have some empathy for what the residents of Cagayan De Oro City and Iligan City have been going through, with thousands of people killed, and thousands upon thousands left homeless as a result.
The Filipino-Canadian Association of Weyburn is putting together a special fundraising evening to reach out to their countrymen who are experiencing loss and devastation, and who need help getting their lives back together after the flood-waters washed away their homes, businesses, and killed so many.
The special evening will be held on Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Calvary Baptist Church from 5 to 10 p.m., and members of the community will be helping as well as those of Weyburn and area's Filipino community.
This shouldn't just be a concern for our Filipino friends; considering everything people here have gone through (and in some cases are still going through), this is a great opportunity to pass on some help, after they themselves were helped by caring friends, neighbours and agencies like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army here at home.
The world is shrinking all the time, and the term "global village" is possibly more relevant today than when it was first penned; as residents of this earth, we all have a responsibility to help one another and be good neighbours. Now we can be good neighbours back, and lend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters of the Philippines. - Greg Nikkel
