Lt. Jennifer Henson from the Salvation Army says when she walked into the Willow Park Church in Kelowna, B.C., Wednesday morning, she was brought to tears.
“I started crying. I was really moved to tears,” she told Global News. “Just witnessing the generosity of the community and people seeing each other’s time of need. Yeah, it’s making me well-up a little bit even just now.”
The Westside Salvation Army partnered with Willow Park Church to organize a clothing and donation drive this past weekend in support of flood victims from Merritt and Princeton.
“This is the biggest response I have ever personally witnessed in terms of a clothing drive in response to a flood or fire,” Henson said.
The church lobby filled to capacity with winter clothing and other necessities, all earmarked for flood evacuees.
“We’ve got baby stuff, kid stuff, adult stuff,” she said. “We’ve got toys, we’ve got clothes and blankets and winter gear – pretty much anything somebody is going to need, they’re going to find it here.”
The donation drive started on Friday and by Sunday afternoon, there were so many items collected, volunteers had to stop accepting donations.
“They just were unable to have any more items in the building, just for safety reasons,” Henson said. “And then next it was the Rutland thrift store, which is just a few blocks away and they were so full that they also had to stop receiving donations.”
The response, Henson said, exceeded all expectations.
“I was expecting generosity, but I have to say, this surprised me,” she said.
Merritt resident Shareen Wood said evacuees like her are grateful for the support.
“Absolutely wonderful,” Wood said. “I’m sure all of Merritt is grateful for Kelowna.”
On Monday, about 1,500 residents in the least impacted areas were allowed to return home.
Wood wasn’t among them and doesn’t know when she will be allowed back home.
“I went into (Emergency Support Services) and they said that the hotel has been extended until Dec. 2,” she said.
Wood is grateful for the items that Kelowna residents have donated as well as their caring and supportive words everywhere she goes.
“In the drugstore, in the grocery store … they have such a heart towards what we’re going through,” she said. “They are sorry and you know, is there anything they can do to help and I’ve got people following up, taking my phone number, following up to see if I’m OK.”
As volunteers sort through the donations to distribute them, the Salvation Army said its biggest request now is for more volunteers because many of them have been going strong since the start of the pandemic.
“We actually need them quite desperately,” Henson said. “A lot of our volunteers are really pooped. Some of them are needing a break – as everybody knows, it’s been a long 20 months.”
Anyone wanting to volunteer in any capacity with the Salvation Army is asked to call the Kelowna or West Kelowna office.
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