ADRA to the Rescue in Anguilla

The North Caribbean Conference (NCC), through humanitarian agency, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), arranged and distributed supplies to the people of Anguilla last October 11, 2017.

President of the NCC, Pastor Desmond James, and Executive Secretary Pastor Wilmoth were on hand to assist in the coordination and distribution of the over 500 food hampers to the community. The team from the conference was happy to have the assistance of Griffith Webster, an Anguillan, who came from ADRA Canada to volunteer his services.

“As a church, we are an organization that cares for people, and ADRA is an arm that we use to respond to disasters,” said President James. “We have mobilized the church in Anguilla and have several volunteers coming out to respond to the disaster. We [NCC] are ten islands, and all of them have been devastated and dislocated by the two hurricanes, first by Irma and then by Maria in September. This is our response–coming out to visit our island territories to assess the damage and see how we can respond to the needs of the people.”

President James, together with the rest of the administration of the conference, flew to Anguilla to meet with the members and encourage them in picking up the pieces after the hurricane. “Our first response is to those who have been dispossessed of the basic necessities of life – food, water and shelter, and how we can help them. We have two responses: the initial response is to meet their immediate needs so that they can be comfortable and not the second response will be the recovery where we will help them to rebuild their homes,” said President James.

“We have deposited over thirty-five thousand US dollars in this venture, funded by the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA). This is to benefit the community at large. The volunteers are going to disperse the supplies across the Anguillan community to all those who are in need,” added the NCC President.

ADRA coordinator for the NCC, Wilmoth James, said, “It is a pleasure to assist the Anguillan community. The food supplies are an act of love to all persons regardless of denomination, creed, or culture. We did it in other parts of the conference. We have been in Tortola, St. Maarten and the US territories. We have also dialogued with the Anguillan Government to see if we can develop an ADRA Chapter in Anguilla to be a quicker response to the people of the island when disaster strikes.” The distribution centre for the large quantity of food and water supplies is the Anguilla Seventh-day Adventist District Office in the Mason Complex.

As ADRA continues its humanitarian work in Anguilla, the community is blessed from the organization working with the members to be the “hands and feet of Jesus.”