The economic situation of Linda’s* country is dire. Inflation is rampant and there are severe shortages of food and other essentials.  

Linda and her husband are unemployed and they struggle to raise their family of six children. It is heart-wrenching for them to see their children suffering from want. They worry constantly about their health. Their concern is not unfounded. Linda has already lost one baby because she could not afford pre-natal care and was unable to buy enough food to eat properly.  

In 2019, thanks to a project funded by the Government of Canada, ADRA was able to provide Linda’s family with hygiene and sanitation supplies. She was thankful that her family was more protected from sickness. She was able to use the money saved to buy more food than would otherwise have been possible. 

ADRA needed to do more.  

In March, we appealed to you, our faithful supporters, asking you to provide food for hundreds of families who were experiencing severe hunger. The onset of the global lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented uncertainty, but you choose faith over fear and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of your response.  

Partnering with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, we were able to multiply the funding and more than double the number of families which would receive food. 

The food distributions were more logistically difficult because of the pandemic. However, by following the personal protective guidelines and observing physical distancing, life-saving food reached the families most in need. Our ADRA staff and volunteers also used the distributions as an opportunity to educate people on the virus, its spread, and how to best protect themselves and their families. 

Linda’s family was overjoyed to be one of the recipients of ADRA’s food assistance.  

Shelter was another concern for Linda’s family. They had no home of their own. They had been given permission to live in a small concrete house with a dirt floor and deteriorated zinc sheeting forming a partial roof. The kitchen and toilet were uncovered. When it rained, the house flooded. They lived with the fear that they could be asked to leave at any time. 

Using donations from our Shelter fund, a home was purchased for Linda’s family. The new house is in the same community where they currently live, so they do not need to leave all that is familiar. It has multiple rooms and a sturdy roof. Linda’s family is grateful for the many blessings they have received. 

They were very vulnerable and have been through severe hardship, but they have also been blessed by your compassion.  

Linda’s family is just one of the tens of thousands of families that have been touched this year by your generosity. As we enter the season of goodwill, we thank you for your unfailing kindness. May you be continually blessed.