As part of its ever-expanding global effort to provide assistance in various areas of the world, the Iglesia Ni Cristo flexed its extensive network of volunteers, logistics, and resources to give crucial aid to those affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.
INC conducted an Aid to Humanity event in the Carribean island last Sept. 29, 2019.
Dorian, a Category 5 storm, made landfall on Sept. 1 and left death and destruction in its wake, which local and international aid organizations both described as “similar to a war zone.”
An estimated 600 people are still listed as missing. Damage to property is calculated to run in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Through the leadership and initiative of INC Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, we were able to provide aid and assistance to approximately 3,000 persons affected by the hurricane,” INC auditor general Glicerio B. Santos Jr. said.
Santos Jr. added they were able to distribute relief goods and care packages that included rice, noodles and various canned products such as sardines, tuna, corned beef, sausage, and pasta. Three- thousand ready-to-eat packed meals were also given away.
The Aid To Humanity drive, led by the INC’s Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, gave additional financial assistance to several individuals and institutions, including Dr. Conville Samuel Brown, Westminster College, Coastline Community Care Nursing Home, Ranfruly Home for Children, Good Samaritan Home, Home for Homeless, Filipino Community Organization, the Public Hospitals Authority, and the Persis Rogers Home for the Aged.
The INC had previously provided crucial assistance to victims of Hurricane Sandy in the US east cost in 2012 by donating $150,000 to the New York City Police Foundation, the FDNY Foundation, the Bellevue Hospital Center, and the Coney Island Hospital.
In 2017, the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation set up an extensive Aid To Humanity effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas by providing groceries, cleaning supplies, and toiletries to affected residents.
The INC auditor general explained that “As soon as we were informed that there was an urgent need to provide aid and assistance to the Bahamas, we immediately mobilized. We needed to alleviate the suffering of the hurricane victims.”
“Our aim is to help where it is needed, wherever in the world, at the soonest possible time. Aid to Humanity is available to everyone, INC members and non-members alike. It’s INC’s way of addressing the need for emergency assistance in the face of natural disasters and calamities,” Santos Jr. noted.
