BC fires response update: Canadian Tire with The Salvation Army provides clean-up kits to evacuees from the First Nations community of Seton
In response to the terrible BC fires that has forced thousands to evacuate their homes, Canadian Tire has generously donated home cleaning kits for The Salvation Army to distribute to evacuees from the First Nations community of Seton.
Enough kits and supplies were donated to support up to fifty homes.
The kits were delivered to First Nations Emergency Disaster Services, who distributed the clean up kits on Saturday, August 15th.
Picture above: Trucks filled with clean up kits, before being delivered to Seton Passage.
Salvation Army served food & tranquility to thousands uprooted by fire
The Stirling family was trying to relax and enjoy holidays on Mara Lake, when their vacation was cut short-only they weren’t going home.
The town of Lillooet, threatened by a raging wildfire dangerously close to the town, was evacuated on Sunday night, August 2nd.
“We got a knock at our cabin and they told us we’d been evacuated,” says Cindy Stirling, a Lillooet resident.
The Stirlings had a brief fifteen minutes back at their home in Lillooet to quickly pack into their car the families most precious items. “My kids grabbed the XBOX, and the Wii, and I grabbed all our important papers and ID’s… we grabbed as much as we could.”
It was a chilling feeling for Cindy, knowing that her home and entire town was now at risk of burning down. “As I was leaving my house, I was like, this could be the last time I see my house standing.”
The Stirling family soon found themselves at Arthur Island Sport and Event Centre in Kamloops, where the Emergency Social Services (ESS) reception centre was located.
Cindy admits she was anxious and nervous walking through the doors of the centre, but those feelings did not last.
“The Salvation Army was there the second I walked in the door. Mary, from the Salvation Army, calmed me down. She’s been wonderful. She’s been helping us with the kids. She would go find them food and drinks. She’s been a godsend.”
The Salvation Army was on the scene at ESS reception centres in the BC interior from the hour residents in Kelowna were first evacuated from Westbank in mid-July. By providing meals, refreshments, counsel, and friendly direction to evacuees, The Salvation Army has played a vital role in calming the spirits of thousands of evacuees this summer, and supporting ESS personnel as they register evacuated residents.
Already this summer, The Salvation Army has served over 10,000 meals to emergency staff and evacuees.
In the Kamloops ESS centre, where the Stirling family was sent to, The Salvation Army’s role was most importantly to help residents feel comfortable as they went through the registration process. Salvation Army volunteers handed out drinks and refreshments, directed evacuees to where they needed to go, answered any questions, and provided any other support that was within their means.
The Stirlings are one of many Lillooet families that were pleased with the support that The Salvation Army, ESS staff and volunteers, and the many other helpful agencies provided during this difficult time.
“When you hear that there’s an emergency, you know The Salvation Army will be there.”
