Aid for Ecuador
A Canadian family holds a sale to help earthquake survivors.
When an earthquake struck Ecuador on April 16, 2016, more than 650 people died, including four sponsored children. Thousands of homes and other buildings were destroyed, leaving many families homeless. Compassion and other organizations started helping the survivors right away, handing out supplies to keep them alive. But it takes a lot of money to help so many people.
When Megan, Evan and Nicole — Canadian siblings who sponsor three children in Ecuador — heard about the disaster on the news, they wanted to help. “I felt sad because we have Compassion kids in Ecuador and we didn’t know if they were OK or not,” says Nicole, 12.
She and her siblings knew there were thousands of earthquake survivors who needed shelter, food, water and supplies to rebuild their homes. So they helped their mom organize a big garage sale and bake sale. They asked neighbors, family and friends to donate items to sell.
On the day of the sale, 10-year-old Evan told customers that any money raised that day would go to help survivors of the earthquake or of a wildfire in the Canadian province of Alberta. After a busy day selling clothes, toys, books and cookies, the siblings counted the money. The final total was $555! “It made me happy and excited,” says Megan, 7.
The siblings sent half of the money to Compassion Canada, and that money is being used to help earthquake survivors. They sent the other half to the Red Cross to help people affected by the wildfire.
Now Nicole and her siblings are ready to write some important letters: “We’re excited to tell our sponsored kids how much money we raised.”
Pray for families who lost loved ones when homes like this one collapsed in the earthquake.
Pray for families who lost loved ones when homes like this one collapsed in the earthquake.
Pray for families who lost loved ones when homes like this one collapsed in the earthquake.