Acts of kindness abound in flood-damaged Grand Forks
From an iced tea stand to a pastor handing out drinks, community flooded with good deeds
Two Grade 5 boys in Grand Forks, B.C. are proof that you don't have to lift heavy sandbags to make an impact.
Logan Engen, 10, and Riley Wolfarm, 11, have been running an iced tea stand since Thursday to raise money for one of their classmates.
Logan said their friend lost his house "and everything in it."
To help out, the boys are employing some old fashioned advertising tactics to turn iced tea into flood relief aid.
So far, they've raised close to $500 for their friend.
"So he can get his stuff back. His clothes, his shoes, I don't know all of his favourite things," said Logan.
In Grand Forks, acts of kindness abound as the community struggles with floods that have forced the evacuation of about 3,000.
Pastor turned 'water boy'
Brett Swope, the pastor of Grand Forks' Baptist Church has earned the nickname "water boy" because he's been handing out cold drinks to residents hauling sandbags.
Swope packs his red and white pick-up truck with water, Gatorade and a large ice-filled cooler. The items are all donated by the church or a grocery store.
"I do what I can to keep them cool," he said.
Sometimes, he brings his kids along to help hand out cold drinks. "I'm part of the community, I want to help," he said.
Interfor steps up
Perhaps, the most unexpected gesture came after the town's lumber mill, one of the largest employers in town, was flooded and forced to close.
Nearly 100 people were left without work. On hearing that, the mill's owners, forestry company Interfor, vowed to pay their workers retroactively to May 10 — the day the flood hit.
In a letter to employees, Interfor vice-president, Andrew Horahan said, "We hope the certainty of regular income in this time of crisis will allow you to continue to help your neighbours and keep the community spirit thriving."
