Red Cross looking for donations to help Fort McMurray evacuees

FORT MCMURRAY (NEWS 1130) – Some of the people leaving Fort McMurray didn’t even have time to pack up basic supplies before fleeing from the flames.

If you’re feeling shocked by the surreal, hellish pictures emerging from the city, there are things you can do to help.

“There will be a lot of needs because people had to move so quickly,” explains Kimberley Nemrava, Vice-President responsible for BC and Yukon with the Canadian Red Cross.

“When you just have to pick up whatever you have at hand and run and evacuate that quickly, there’s going to be a lot of need, the most basic being food and clothing and shelter. And then there’s all those personal needs, people will need to get prescriptions, they’ll need to take care of their own personal needs once they get to safe ground.”

You can make a donation through the Red Cross.

“We work alongside government and other agencies to provide support, they can donate at 1-800-418-1111 or at redcross.ca,” Nemrava says.

She adds the Red Cross is working on rallying its volunteers here in Vancouver to possibly set up a call centre where people who have fled can phone and register as evacuees.

“We are really hoping that they can get everyone out safely, and we know that Albertans and Canadians will certainly support the evacuees wherever they land.”

The one positive out of all this is the outpouring of support from people outside Fort McMurray — people offering their homes, hotels offering rooms free of charge, restaurants offering hot meals, and campgrounds opening up.

Rogers is giving free long distance/texting to Fort McMurray until May 17 and we are partnering with the Red Cross. If you would like to donate $10, text the word FIRES to 45678

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