From May 30 to June 5, floodwaters submerged key roads in Aklavik and forced the evacuation of 166 people to Inuvik.
Now, thanks to donations accumulated through Muslim Welfare Canada and the Arctic Food Bank in Inuvik, the hamlet has received a $10,000 cheque for flood relief costs.
“This is a one time donation,” said Arctic Food Bank president Abdalla Mohamed. “The Arctic Food Bank will continue to provide essential food deliveries by weekly to residence of Inuvik. The Arctic Food Bank also provided essential food deliveries to the Aklavik evacuees.”
Mohamed said the money was raised by MWC from across the country. The Arctic Food Bank is the Inuvik branch of MWC. It was founded in 2015 by the Midnight Sun Mosque. Since then, MWC has raised over $200,000 for the food bank to provide non-perishable food for families in need.
It’s been a busy fall for the MWC in Inuvik. The charity also brought backpacks filled with school supplies into the community in August, as well as to the surrounding Beaufort Delta.
Abdalla said anyone who wanted to contribute to should reach out to him on Facebook or donate online.
“People who would like to help Muslim Welfare Canada can reach out to our social media and website www.arcticfoodbank.com to support the Arctic Food bank or www.muslimwelfarecentre.com to support other projects and initiatives from the Muslim Welfare Canada,” he said. “We courage supporters to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.”