Fort McMurray residents returned to Edmonton Emergency Relief Services after the organization made changes to accommodate evacuees.
People lined up outside the Donation Distribution Centre Friday morning with evacuees arriving to pick up much needed supplies.
The distribution centre’s changes include allowing evacuees to return for a second or third time.
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“Now that the numbers are starting to slow down, we can now open up our doors again and continue to re-stock up on supplies,” Nicole Geoffroy, EERS spokesperson, said.
“We just wanted to be sure that everybody got there’s first.”
It’s a major relief for evacuees who have been running out of supplies, nearly a month after being forced out of their homes by a wildfire.
“We don’t have enough clothes right now and it’s just everything we can get, we’ll get,” Fort McMurray resident Ana Bolilia said.
Many evacuees have been told to bring supplies and be self-sufficient when they return to Fort McMurray as early as next week, so it helps to be able to return to the centre multiple times.
“I’m so fortunate to have this kind of relief that’ll benefit me,” evacuee Renn Abante said.
READ MORE: Phased re-entry into Fort McMurray after wildfire to begin June 1
Hours of operation at the centre are also changing. The facility will be open for a shorter period: Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it’ll be closed on Sunday. It was previously open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The change is a result of fewer volunteers. It has dropped from 900 to 200 volunteers.
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