The Congress of the Philippine Associations of Alberta has taken action to help in relief efforts for victims of the wildfire that ravaged Fort McMurray.
The organization is donating non-perishable items to the Edmonton Food Bank, according to a report by the Filipino Journal in the province.
The paper reported that the food drive will be an ongoing effort by the alliance headed by Jun Angeles.
According to the report, Angeles urged different association members to take part in this initiative.
The fire started on May 1, and has devastated communities in Fort McMurray.
As of May 18, the fire has destroyed 423,000 hectares of forest. It has razed an oilsands camp, and was spreading to other industry sites.
More than 80,000 residents have been displaced from Fort McMurray.
There are about 8,000 Filipinos in the area, according to Flor Connors, a Canadian Filipino woman who has lived in Fort McMurray for more than 20 years.
A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer noted that Connors and her family fled to Edmonton, almost 400 kilometres south of Fort McMurray.
Connors, vice-president of the Filipino Canadian Association of Fort McMurray, said in the report that she was able to grab some of her family’s memorabilia before the fire engulfed their house.
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