Tongan church in Portland collecting donations three months after tsunami

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - It’s been more than three months since an underwater volcanic eruption caused a tsunami and devastated the Tongan islands and Portland’s local Tongan community hasn’t stopped rallying supplies for those who were left with close to nothing.

“This container is gonna help them. At least feed them a couple of months,” Pastor Fungalei Taufoou, said.

Members of the Lents Tongan Fellowship of the United Methodist Church have been hard at work filling boxes with much-needed supplies to send to Tonga months after a tsunami devastated the islands.

Pastor Fungalei Taufoou’s in-laws are still there, and members of the church have family on the islands too. He said it was tough for everyone to be so far away.

“It’s hard. Especially the first couple days after, you know, the tsunami actually happened because there was no connection, no communications and they tried keeping the calm, the peace. Families here were very concerned about what was going on in the island,” Taufoou said.

They’ve been collecting items for a week now, filling a box truck with almost $80,000 worth of food and other supplies, but Taufoou said they’re still taking donations before the truck ships out Thursday.

“Sugar, canned fish, peanut butter, mayonnaise corned beef, soda waters, clothes diapers shoes,” he said. “Right now they need help. Right now they need help, they need food. Anything, you know, anything helps.”

If you want to make a last minute donation, you can stop by their church at 4600 SE 97th Avenue in Portland.

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