A house fire is difficult for anyone, but for the Bilal family it was especially traumatizing as they had only been in Canada a few months.
Mohammad, Afraa, their two children, Naya and Nael, and Mohammad’s brother, Ali, arrived in Canada in February as refugees. They fled the war in Syria and spent more than three years in Lebanon before coming to Canada.
In July, a fire broke out in the family’s home. Fortunately, no one was injured, but most of what little they did have was destroyed. They were only able to salvage a few household items.
Afraa, with two-and-a- half year old Nael, three-and-a-half-year-old Naya and Mohammad.
A family friend of the Bilal’s, who had been living in Calgary for several years, was familiar with the Red Cross and called for assistance. The Red Cross Personal Disaster Assistance Team was able to provide the family with three nights’ accommodation. In addition, thanks to the support of Walmart, the team gave the family vouchers for groceries, hygiene items, clothing and baby products.
The family was grateful for the assistance. They didn’t have the means to deal with a personal disaster.
“We didn’t have anything. No clothing, no money,” Afraa remembers. “The [Red Cross] help[ed] when [we] needed it.”
The Red Cross provided assistance to the family for the first 72 hours following the fire. The local community responded quickly, requesting on Facebook to help the family get back on their feet. Calgarians donated furniture, toys, and other items to help the family get set up in another house.
With the assistance of the Red Cross, Walmart, and the community, the Bilal’s have bounced back from July’s fire and are slowly getting used to life in Canada. Mohammad has a job at a warehouse and both parents are learning English. They are also preparing for the arrival of another baby next spring.
The Red Cross responds to a personal disaster approximately every 3.5 hours in Canada. In Alberta, we responded to 238 personal disasters and assisted 996 people in 2015-2016 to the end of March.
Red Cross provides emergency food, clothing, accommodation and personal services for up to 72 hours to individuals and families who have been affected by local, small-scale disasters, such as house fires or floods. The average cost to assist a family of four is $2000.
Each year, Walmart stores across Canada dedicate several weeks to support the Red Cross in helping Canadians prepare for, as well as recover from, disaster. The funds raised at each store are used where they are needed most, providing assistance to those affected by a disaster.
Visit
www.redcross.ca/walmartcampaign or head to your local Walmart to donate today.