Note: The following appeal is now closed. You can support our ongoing work by donating to the Canadian Red Cross
Red Cross collects more than $275,000
The public responded generously to the appeal launched by the Red Cross to help the victims of the floods in the Bois-Francs region. The Red Cross surpassed its fundraising objective of $200,000 by collecting more than $275,000. It can now proceed quickly to the recovery phase and help the affected families begin to return to their normal lives.
Sylvie Côté, Director/Editor of the weekly newspapers La Nouvelle,L’Union and L’Avenir de l’Érable, the Caisse populaire Desjardins and a group of business people from the region made financial contributions to the appeal. They also promoted the Red Cross fund to the public and businesses. Concentrating on each of these efforts made it easier for the families and people affected by the floods to return to a normal life.
Status report
Moments after the floods happened, 15 Red Cross volunteers quickly responded to meet the immediate needs of the victims. They helped 47 people in the emergency phase by offering them shelter and providing hygiene kits and vouchers to purchase food and clothing at local stores. They also gave moral support to the people severely affected by the disaster. The Red Cross responded in the municipalities of Warwick, Tingwick, Victoriaville and Saint-Christophe d'Arthabaska.
Coordination committee
A regional coordination committee was struck to manage the fund. This committee—headed by the regional president of the Red Cross, Jean-Denis Lavigne—is composed of eight people from various backgrounds, including representatives of the business and community sectors, and elected officials from different levels of government.
In accordance with Red Cross national standards, the assistance program targets home owners and tenants who sustained major or minor damage due to the floods. It aimed at meeting their needs in terms of personal services, health care, lodging and food services complementing the aid provided by government and various organizations in the region, as well as equipment such as child car seats, furniture cleaning, babysitting and school supplies.