A Moncton, N.B., woman is making her way to her hometown of Port aux Basques, N.L., with a trailer load of donations for Fiona storm victims from people across New Brunswick.
The sheer volume of essential items such as clothing, food, diapers and blankets that she has managed to gather together in just a few days has left her heart filled with gratitude, she said.
“My heart is full. I am so overwhelmed and so happy. It is just awesome,” said Paula Gould, who left Moncton on Wednesday night in a truck hauling a trailer load of donations headed for the ferry.
Gould was born and raised on the rock and said when she saw the sheer devastation in her hometown of Port Aux Basques following Fiona, she felt heartbroken and helpless being so far away from her family.
“People left just with the clothes on their backs and some with not even shoes on their feet so I just felt that I had to do something to help,” said Gould.
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So, she put out a call on social media asking for donations of essentials for people whose whole lives are now in shambles and within 24 hours, it arrived by the trunkload.
Gould said friends and even perfect strangers from as far away as Scotland opened up their wallets and their hearts to help the communities in and around Port aux Basques
Overwhelmed with empathy for the victims, Kelley McSheffery of Moncton delivered two truckloads of donations this week, including clothing and blankets.
“We all have bad days and we think we have a hard life at times and you see stuff like that and it really puts things in perspective,” she said.
Clothing, toiletries, diapers, water, toys, pet food, you name it — donations filled Paula’s garage.
“I think it is great,” said her mother Carol Ann Matthews, who lives in Port aux Basques.
While Gould’s family’s homes were not among the near 100 swallowed by the sea, she “had an aunt that almost washed out to sea.”
“Two big waves come over and she thought she was gone so now she has a fear every time she looks out the window,” she said.
Expected to arrive in her hometown on Thursday, she said she hopes a trailer load of support will help settles those fears.
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