Please note that our Flood Relief Funds are now CLOSED to donations and applications. Funds will begin to be distributed in the coming weeks to those who have applied.

With the generous support of hundreds of people in our community, the Fraser Valley and beyond, Arnold Community Church has been able to offer practical support to people in Arnold and the surrounding community.  We want to continue that support by opening two flood relief funds for people to be able to give financially to.

The first fund is our “COMMUNITY REBUILD” Fund this will go to support people in the Arnold Community who have experienced loss and damage to property due to rains and flooding.

The second fund is our “BUILDING FUND” to restore our church basement that also flooded (to be clear, our church does have insurance, but we will have to cover the $50,000 deductible and other incidental costs associated with the flood).

The COMMUNITY REBUILD Fund will be run and distributed by a committee who will operate with fairness and transparency.  These funds will be directed to help those in the community directly and will have parameters around fixed items such as appliances, hot water heaters, furnaces, or other suitable parameters that will be decided upon under the discretion of the committee as needs arise.  In the unlikely event that there are funds left after the project is complete, we would donate those remaining funds to Mennonite Disaster Services.

The BUILDING FUND to restore the church basement will be overseen by our church’s maintenance team.

We are no longer accepting donations towards flood relief.

Thank you for your support of our community!!

Please Note that Applications are now closed.

Vision

Our church desires to help our community in this difficult time.  The vision for this fund is to display the love of God through meeting the tangible needs within our community. We believe that God cares deeply for all people and we want to express his love by doing all we can to help those in need around us.  Collecting and then distributing the funds is one simple way we can do this.

Summary

The Community Rebuild Fund (“the Fund”) will be open for donations until January 31, 2022. All donations received in this fund will be allocated to the Sumas Prairie community through an application process. The Sumas Prairie community is defined as individuals who reside on properties that are North of the United States Border, East of Sumas Way, South of South Parallel Road, and West of Boundary Road. All applications will be looked at on a first come first serve basis with specific attention given to those that do not meet the eligibility for other financial assistance. As the purpose of the Fund is to meet the tangible needs within the Sumas Prairie community, the Fund will be primarily used to reimburse purchases of appliances that have been damaged and require replacement or repair due to the flooding. Funds will be distributed based on a set allowance of each appliance being replaced. The allowance provided will be based on the average expected cost to replace the appliance with a low-to-mid range alternative. Any additional costs will be the responsibility of the applicant. To ensure that the funds are being spent as desired, a receipt confirming the purchase/installation of the appliance will be required before reimbursement.

Additional Parameters

• Funds will begin to be distributed once the giving period has ended to ensure sufficient funds have been received to disburse to each applicant.
• Funds will continue to be distributed for as long as they are available.
• The Fund is available to any individual residing in the Sumas Prairie area (as defined above) and is not limited to individuals who attend Arnold Community Church.
• The Fund is primarily designed to help the community purchase appliances such as hot water tanks, furnaces, washers and dryers, dishwashers, etc. that were damaged by the flood. Any additional needs will be assessed based on whether it meets the vision of the fund (as stated above). Because the funds are limited and the need is great, there will be a maximum allowance per household.
• Any funding received to offset the cost of purchasing new appliances from other sources will reduce the amount of funding received to the remaining cost of the appliances.
• Applicants should first apply for BC provincial disaster relief, the Red Cross and your Homeowners insurance before applying to this program.

Process

• Fill out and submit the application online here. Physical copies of the applications will be available at Arnold Community Church (310 Arnold Road) during office hours.
• Any applications that are not able to be submitted to the above email or through this online submission can be dropped off at the church during office hours.
• Applications will be processed in the order they are received. If any additional information is required, the Community Rebuild Fund Committee will reach out to the applications through email.
• Once the application is approved, the applicants will be provided with additional details of how much in funding is expected to be disbursed and what further actions are required by the applicant.
• Funds will be disbursed within two weeks of the application’s approval provided that all other requirements have been met.
• Please note that funds will not be provided without a receipt confirming the purchase/installation of the approved appliance. Funds will be disbursed to reimburse up to the total cost for the purchases and installation of the appliance.

Any questions about the fund parameters and process can be sent to communityrebuild@arnoldcommunitychurch.com