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Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) donates 2,000 bags of groceries in Red Deer

Event hosted at Gary W. Harris Canada Games on Sunday
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The Iglesia Ni Cristo Church of Christ donated 2,000 bags of groceries to people in need at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre Sunday. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

Hundreds of Central Albertans in need were able to receive bags of groceries thanks to a local church.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) donated 2,000 care packages with food and other items through the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, the church’s charitable arm, at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer on Sunday.

“What you’re seeing here in Red Deer is part of the month-long Care for Humanity project of the church,” said Eduardo Javier, a district minister in Northwest California and a representative of the FYM Foundation.

“We started Care for Humanity on Aug. 7. We did it in Ottawa, then on Aug. 12 we were in (the greater Toronto area), on Aug. 14 we went to Winnipeg, Mba., on Aug. 19 we were to Vancouver, B.C. This is the last leg of the Care for Humanity project.”

The church is also celebrating its 108th anniversary and 50 years in Canada, Javier added.

“The Iglesia Ni Cristo now can be found in 162 countries and territories around the world. That includes 149 races and nationalities,” he said.

“In Canada, we have seven regions – we call them districts. Calgary (which includes Red Deer) and Edmonton were the districts participating today. We have more than 100 local congregations here in Canada.

Additionally, four $2,000 cheques were awarded to four local charities: CARE for Newcomers, Catholic Social Services, the John Howard Society of Red Deer and The Mustard Seed. Representatives from each charity accepted cheques and delivered short speeches during the event, which was attended by hundreds of people from around Alberta. Deputy Mayor Bruce Buruma also delivered a speech.

Rolando Gaviola, district minister of Calgary, members of the church want to help others.

“The members of the Church of Christ, because of our love to our fellow man and in obedience of the commandments of God to help those who are in need, we have this kind of activity, with the approval of our executive minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo,” said Gaviola.

“It is our way of giving back to the community (and) to help those who are in need. … We gathered all the brethren here to help those who are in need.”

The Calgary district stretches from the Lethbridge area to Ponoka.

There was also live music and performances during Sunday’s event.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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