EDMONTON — There is now just one location in Edmonton to drop off items for Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees.
The Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society (EERSS) opened a new 71,200 square-foot warehouse on Saturday at 3870-98 St.
Going forward, this will be the only location in Edmonton to drop off donations. It will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Donations will no longer be accepted at the previous locations in Edmonton and at the Edmonton International Airport.
“One single location will make management of donations more efficient. We have more space and several loading bays for large shipments,” Nicole Geoffroy, spokesperson for EERSS, said.
This warehouse is not for evacuees to pick up items. Those in need of items are asked to head to Kingsway Mall, where a makeshift store for evacuees has been set up. The store has been set up in the old Target location.
“When we heard evacuees were coming, some with nothing but the clothes on their backs, we wanted to help,” Susan Denney, general manager of Kingsway Mall, said. “We have witnessed incredible generosity from our individual staff members going above and beyond, as well as retailers donating tote bags, water, food, refreshments and supplies for the space.”
The Kingsway pick-up store is entirely run by volunteers, with nearly 150 people working at any time. The store is in need of more volunteers. To sign up for shifts, head to the EERSS website.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: Edmonton Expo Centre sees 17,000 evacuees
Since May 9, the EERSS has served approximately 26,000 evacuees. The EERSS urgently requires more new donations, particularly the following items:
- Pillows
- Towels and face cloths
- Men’s clothing (all sizes)
- Children’s clothing (all sizes and genders)
- Shoes (all sizes and genders)
The city stressed that no used items will be accepted because the centre does not have the resources to sort through used donations.
A complete list of items needed for evacuees is below:
- New towels and new face cloths
- New socks, underwear and bras
- Toiletries, feminine pads, tampons, liners
- Mouthwash
- Razors and shaving cream
- Body wash and deodorant
- Shampoo and conditioner
- New brushes and combs
- Hair elastics
- Shoes, sandals and slippers
- Clothes for all ages and sexes
- Maternity clothing
- Pillows and pillow cases
- Blankets
- Bed sheets
- Pyjamas
- New toys and games
- Colouring books and crayons
- Sippy cups
- New baby items of all sorts
- Receiving blankets
- Diapers – all sizes
- Baby wipes
- Breast feeding supplies
- Large reusable bags
- Culturally traditional clothing including head scarves
- First aid kits
- Cleaning supplies
- Paper towels
- New denture supplies
- Walking canes
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