6th City in Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, Inc. U.S. Tour Benefits From Free Aid, Donations and Hope
AUGUST 20 (SAN CARLOS, AZ) – Six service organizations were recognized and gifted donations to further support their work for the San Carlos Apache Reservation and an Aid to Humanity event Aug. 20 from the Felix Y. Manalo (FYM) Foundation Inc., the charitable arm of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC or Church Of Christ).
“Like any community, needy families and individuals on our reservation go without food, shelter and daily essentials due to a variety of factors. Some of those affected our children and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable,” said Councilwoman Bernadette Goode, representative of the Chairman of the Apache Tribe.
4,325 free care packages of food and household necessities were given to families during the event held at the Burdette Hall in San Carlos. Hundreds of students living on the reservation lined up to receive free backpacks filled with school supplies for the new school year.
Recipients were residents of what is said to be one of the nation’s poorest Native American reservations, with nearly half of the population living below the federal poverty line, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
“We are a tribe of 16,825 members and we continue to grow … while keeping our traditions of the past alive. We are grateful for the organization such as yours, willing and able to serve our people,” said Councilwoman Goode.
This second Aid to Humanity visit this year from the FYM Foundation provided not only immediate relief but long-term support through local organizations that the Apache families rely on.
Six organizations were recognized and gifted each a $5,000 donation from the FYM Foundation to support the positive social impact of their work. These included the San Carlos Apache Tribe, San Carlos Unified School, Alderman Home Domestic Center, City of Globe, Globe Police Department, and Globe Fire Department.
The partnerships made are ones that the Church Of Christ hope to continue beyond the event, as it fulfills not only the basic necessities of the Apache families but their spiritual needs as well.
“Today I walked into the building and I just sensed this love that I haven’t sensed, people wanting to do good for others,” said aid recipient Jeremy Walker, a teacher at San Carlos Unified School District.
“The importance isn’t just food … food is going to be gone in a day, the water is going to be gone in a day; the backpacks will be lost and the notebooks will be used up. But the important thing is the love … and maybe these kids will look at that and say ‘Hey, I want that in me too’.”
Arizona is the 6th stop of the FYM Foundation’s Aid to Humanity U.S. outreach series this August. After starting in Brownsville, N.Y. Aug. 11, Aid to Humanity reached the communities of Marlow Heights, Md., Seattle, Wash., Oakland, Calif. and will continue in San Diego, Los Angeles and Rockford, Ill.
Earlier this year, Aid to Humanity events helped 36 local organizations in Canada, serving thousands in need along the way, as part of its global aim to provide an opportunity for those most in need and contribute to supporting peaceful and productive communities. Other projects include eco-farming in Africa and the distribution of basic supplies to residents of favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Volunteers of the foundation have also offered relief aid in the aftermath of natural calamities, such as hurricanes and earthquakes in the Philippines and other disaster-stricken areas.
For more about the Church and its activities, please visit www.iglesianicristo.net.
Photos Courtesy of Iglesia Ni Cristo Public Information Office
