For Steve Filyk of Kamloops, B.C., reaching out to people around the world experiencing hunger is part of his faith. (Photo: Submitted)
It’s been 30 years since Steven Filyk lived in his hometown of Eston, Saskatchewan. However, the impact of seeing grain farmers giving their crop to help hungry people overseas through the Foodgrains Bank continues to resonate with him.
It’s one of the reasons the pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kamloops chooses to make a monthly donation to the Foodgrains Bank.
“The reality is that here in Canada, we’re well off. Due to God’s grace, we have opportunities here. We can make enough for ourselves and more,” he says.
“I believe this creates an opportunity and an obligation for us to do what we can to help others.”
A monthly gift to help people who are hungry “is a lifestyle choice,” says Filyk, noting that parishioners at his church in Kamloops, in the heart of B.C.’s fruit growing area, often bring cherries and other fruit to share with one another in the summer.
“We can all share what we have,” he says. “I think God is pleased when we do.”
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If you’d like to become a monthly donor, you can do so through pre-authorized debits (PAD) from your bank account or through online giving with your credit card. A gift of $30 can feed two people in Sub-Saharan Africa for one month.
For PAD monthly donations, please send a voided cheque, select the member designation and date you’d like the amount to be withdrawn (on the 1st or 15th of the month).
For online monthly donations, visit foodgrainsbank.ca/donate and follow the instructions.
