☀️ High 28C

Good morning,

An Abbotsford mother and her Ottawa-based son have been quietly running a charity in Egypt for the past three years that provides monthly food assistance to 45 families, funds university students, and covers medical costs for people who can't afford care. This weekend, they're bringing a piece of that work home.

The Egyptian Market takes place Saturday, August 29 at OPEX Abbotsford from 4 to 8 p.m. Free to attend, the market features local vendors, Egyptian food and music, and a fundraiser supporting a student from Siwa pursuing her university degree.

– Emily

Keep local journalism alive by supporting The Current. Become a Current Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope | Mission

🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.

🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.

Salsabeel Charity started the way a lot of good things do: informally, and out of necessity.

Nehal Azab, who has lived in Abbotsford since 1994, had always helped people in Egypt on her own — finding families who needed food, or covering medical costs for someone who couldn't afford care. It was never organized. Eventually, she and her son Eiad El Fateh, who grew up in Abbotsford before moving to Ottawa, decided to make it official. In 2022, they co-founded Salsabeel Charity. It became a registered Canadian charity in 2024.

The connection to Abbotsford runs deeper than geography. Nehal works at the Abbotsford Food Bank, and it was that experience — watching how a food bank operates — that gave them the model for what they wanted to build in Egypt. It's also where she met Kyoka, who is now on Salsabeel's board of directors.

"A lot of what we are doing in Egypt was influenced by my mom's experience working at the food bank in Abbotsford," El Fateh says.

Salsabeel’s upcoming Abbotsford market»

💔 A 33-year-old man drowned at Albert Dyck Park in Abbotsford on August 22, the third drowning in B.C. in the past week. [Vancouver Sun]

🏛️ B.C. Conservative MLA for Abbotsford-Mission Reann Gasper has announced she will step down, paving the way for new party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek the seat in a byelection. [CBC News]

🕊️ Langley City is mourning the passing of retired Fire Chief Jim McGregor, who served the Langley City Fire Department from 1970 until his retirement in 2006 and went on to write more than 600 community columns. [Langley City]

🚌 A new transit exchange near Highstreet Shopping Centre in Abbotsford will open September 6, with five bus bays serving local and regional routes including the Fraser Valley Express. [City of Abbotsford]

🐻 A woman was chased by a black bear on Muench Trail near Derby Reach Regional Park in Langley on August 20. She escaped safely after yelling at the bear. Conservation officers are monitoring the area. [Langley Advance Times]

🏡 Adult children of seniors are helping their parents decide whether to age in place. This free guide helps everyone figure it out together.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Fraser Valley.

RCMP Musical Ride at Chilliwack Heritage Park: The iconic RCMP Musical Ride comes to Chilliwack Heritage Park on August 28, with up to 32 riders performing intricate formations and drills set to music.

Egyptian Bazaar in Abbotsford: A free community bazaar at OPEX Abbotsford on August 29, with Egyptian food, local vendors, and family-friendly activities. Proceeds support Salsabeel's food, education, and medical programs in Egypt.

Summer Sound Off at Thunderbird Show Park: Brett Kissel and Chad Brownlee headline an outdoor country concert at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley on August 29, with special guests Karen Lee Batten and Morgan Griffiths.

Community journalism needs the entire community for it to succeed.

Become a Current member today and join 1,400+ other local supporters who help keep our lights on.

As part of a membership, you get our special weekend roundup of all the things you might’ve missed each week!

Thanks for reading Fraser Valley Current today ♥

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another local.

Wouldn’t the Fraser Valley be better if more people had access to local, quality news – and didn’t have to rely on social media? Share The Current with your friends and help us build better communities.