Volunteer Profile: Robbin Stephens
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One such memorable incident happened during the Williams Lake Forest Fires response in August 2010. Residents from four First Nations bands and other communities around the lake had fled to a reception centre that also served as an emergency shelter, and the BC Emergency Social Services (ESS) enlisted the Canadian Red Cross to support with the centre’s operations. Robbin was vacationing in Kamloops, BC, but she was happy to jump into action and joined three other Red Cross volunteers in Williams Lake.
The team handed out comfort kits, which contained essential hygiene items such as toothbrush and shampoo. These kits were traveller size and only meant for a few days’ use. It quickly became clear that or these evacuees who did not have the luxury to pack daily necessities and were now staying away from their home for a longer period of time, there was anurgent need for greater support from the community.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. During Robbin’s deployment at the reception centre, one of the ESS volunteers, and also a Walmart staff member, was asked by her Store Manager to come up with a wish list of emergency supplies that the evacuees needed. They did not want to be perceived as demanding, but they eventually submitted a list of two pages in length for the Store Manager’s consideration, with no guarantee that any of the items would be available.
Robbin and the Walmart stafferdid not hear from the Store Manager for the next few days, until a Walmart truck unexpectedly pulled up at the reception centre.To everyone’s surprise, the truck contained everything that was asked for, including hygiene items, underwear, and toys for the children. News soon spread faster than the flames that were engulfing their towns, and evacuees started to line up for the supplies. Robbin still vividly remembers kids running up to ask if they could get a soccer ball.They could, thanks to Walmart.
“When disasters hit, people are devastated, and they don’t have anything,” says Robbin. “We rely on the support from the community, and having suppliers like Walmart is critical in meeting evacuees’ unmet needs. We are quite thankful of Walmart’s continued generosity.”
Since 2003, Walmart has contributed over $16 million in donations and emergency relief items to Red Cross disaster response.
For more information on our Disaster Management program, please click here»
