Edmonton inundated with donations for Fort McMurray fire evacuees

When she saw the haunting images of the fire in Fort McMurray, Alta., this week, Paula Beckles just wanted to offer her help topeople in their time of crisis.

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Being several hours away in Edmonton,she wasn't sure what she could dountil she heard about the need for volunteers at donation centres to sortthrough emergency supplies for evacuees.

"Just the atmosphere of everyone coming together and being here, it feels so good," she said while boxing clothes at a donation centre Saturday.

New clothes, bottled water, toiletries, diapers andchildren's toys have been arriving in Edmonton from around the province and the country.

Donations have already filled threeof the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society'sstorage spaces to capacity.

Hangar No. 2 at the Edmonton International Airport was the latest donationdrop-off point,but that alsoran out of spaceSaturday.

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Beckles said the boxes she's been packing are being shipped to the Northlands Expo centre in Edmonton, wherefire evacuees with nowhere else to go are staying.

'The response has been great'

Hundreds of people have been offering to volunteer to sort through the supplies,and others have been calling from around the country to ask what the most pressing needs are and how they can help.

"The response has been great.I've been having tonsof phonecalls.I'd say about 500phonecalls from Newfoundland all the way to Whitehorse,"Lloyd Skinner, aco-ordinator with the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society, said.

In addition to sending the supplies toNorthlands, Skinner said there is a distribution centre being set up at the old Target store inKingsway Mall whereevacuee families can easily get toand pick up what they need.

The biggest need,he said, is new clothes for men, women and children, as thereare no facilities to wash and dry used items.

There's also a big need for footwear, underwear and socks again, aslong as they arenew.

Volunteers are working around the clock due to the sheer volume of supplies being dropped off

"It's the only thing to do," volunteerLee Wilkie said,

He said he was motivated to volunteerbecause he knows a lot of people in Fort McMurray and he found the stories of loss this week to be"gut-wrenching".

Dog food, diapers and children's toys have all arrived in abundance at the centre. All types of kids' toys are welcome, butsecond-hand stuffedtoys are not wanted for hygiene reasons.

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Now that the airport hangar is packed with donations,donations are being accepted at awarehouse at 9727-47 Avenue.

'I'm really proud'

Althoughmany people have already shownup to volunteer, Skinner said the sheer volume of donations means anyone else arriving at the hangar will be put to work straight away.

He said he's been floored by the outpouring of support so far.

"I'm really proud of the response and how people came out," hesaid.

Beckles is encouraging people to show up even if it's for only a few hours.

"This will help tremendously," she said. "These people are so overwhelmed."

Anyone who wants to volunteer cancontact the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society at (780) 428-4422.

gareth.hampshire@cbc.ca

@cbcgareth

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