A group of Vernon businesswomen have come up with their own way to lend a hand with the ongoing wildfire situation.
Alison Ludditt, Lisa Gallie and Li Fryling have opened a donation centre to support the hundreds of evacuees from the Central Okanagan who have arrived at Vernon91裸聊视频檚 Emergency Support Service (ESS) reception centre at Kal Tire Place Arena.
With wildfires raging in the Central Okanagan and Shuswap, Ludditt, like many other Vernonites, desperately wanted to help in some way. However, Vernon91裸聊视频檚 ESS had all the volunteers it needed.
Ludditt heard from a friend who was an ESS volunteer that donations of food, clothes and other items were needed, but the city couldn91裸聊视频檛 accomodate the collection.
After Gallie began inviting people to drop off donations at her store, Big Sun, Ludditt 91裸聊视频� owner of The Room Collection 91裸聊视频攈ad the idea to offer up her furniture warehouse to collect, sort and store donated items.
People are welcome to come by the back of the warehouse at 907 Kalamalka Lake Rd., where already a team of volunteers has come out of the woodwork to accept donations.
91裸聊视频淧eople are just itching to do something to help,91裸聊视频� Ludditt said. 91裸聊视频淲e all feel so lucky and so grateful that this year it91裸聊视频檚 not us, and the minute Lisa put out the word to drop donations at Big Sun, people started showing up. And then as soon as we said we have a warehouse for your stuff, they came in droves.91裸聊视频�
The women have set up a 91裸聊视频渇ree store91裸聊视频� at Kal Tire Place 91裸聊视频� a trailer filled with donated goods that evacuees and firefighters can help themselves to.
They started the initiative Monday morning and will be at the warehouse tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the free store will also be available.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been unbelievable. Businesses that have shown up with $1,000 to $2,000 worth of donations, and just all the humans that are really wanting to help, they show up with boxes of diapers and juice boxes and snacks for the firefighters,91裸聊视频� said Ludditt, adding Vegpro in Lavington donated 700 bags of salad yesterday.
Ludditt knew there would be evacuees forced from their homes in need of basic items, but was surprised to learn that the firefighters are in need of items too.
91裸聊视频淭hey are not being nourished as well as they should be,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭hey are getting meals but they need energy drinks and protein bars and chocolate and all these things just to boost them up, because they are working 18 hours at a time.91裸聊视频�
Firefighters are also in need of fresh fruit and vegetables, Ludditt said.
While the women have been authorized by Vernon91裸聊视频檚 ESS to bring donations to Kal Tire Place, no one else has that authorization. The women are asking people to bring donations to the warehouse as the ESS does not have the resources to process donated items.
All donations must be new, as required by the ESS.
Check out the Instagram accounts of and for updates on which items are needed at a given time.
Items currently in need include:
91裸聊视频� Men91裸聊视频檚 and women91裸聊视频檚 clothing
91裸聊视频� Baby formula
91裸聊视频� Bottles of juice, pop
91裸聊视频� Protein drinks in plastic bottles
91裸聊视频� shampoo, conditioner, hair brushes
91裸聊视频� Soap and deodorant (male and female)
91裸聊视频� Diapers
91裸聊视频� Phone chargers
Ludditt says the team will continue to help for as long as needed, and with more firefighters coming to the area, she expects the need to last 91裸聊视频渇or quite a while.91裸聊视频�
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