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Stories from the fires

Nothing but admiration for the Red Cross

	Volunteers bringing much needed supplies to daycare

Sharon Green, Director of the Centennial Daycare in Slave Lake, has nothing but admiration for the Red Cross and its volunteers since the 2011 wildfires. She and the rest of the Centennial Daycare staff had been mandated back to work two weeks after the fires occurred.  Red Cross volunteers stopped by on the first day they were back to check in and see what they could do to help.

The town’s stores had not reopened and the daycare was short on supplies. The Red Cross returned with diapers, baby food and formula. When the daycare’s industrial dishwasher broke down, Red Cross funding paid for a new one.

“The Red Cross was a significant moral support for us. The volunteers dropped in to see how we were doing,” says Sharon. “Our enrollment rose quite a bit as many families were living in trailers and didn’t want the children to be at home on their own after the school day. They helped us out with food and funding.”

	Sharon Green and Janet Parks of Centennial Daycare worked hard to re-open for residents

The Red Cross also put on a workshop recently as the first year of the wildfires approaches, giving Sharon and her staff valuable tools to help themselves and the children. “They told us what to expect, what kind of emotions we might experience. It was very helpful,” adds Sharon.

Centennial Daycare normally operates two daycares in Slave Lake, but they are short staffed now, with only one of the daycares operating and full to capacity.

“Our eyes yes were really opened to the magnitude of what the Red Cross can do. I wasn’t aware of the wonderful work the organization does and they are still very active in helping us here,” says Sharon.

	Centennial daycare in Slave Lake was mandated to open as quickly as possible. The population of the daycare increased by a great amount in the wake of the fire. Red Cross funded a dishwasher, a must for a busy daycare.

The Red Cross has also had a big impact on the daycare’s children. “Many of them have been seen role-playing as Red Cross volunteers during their playtime,” adds Sharon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted:  May 10, 2012