By Allie Murchison
Like thousands of people along New Brunswick’s St. John River in the spring of 2018, Bessie Froud and her husband Ray had to evacuate as flood waters inundated their home. Having no place to go, it was the Canadian Red Cross that arranged accommodation during the three weeks they were evacuated.
Again, this spring, New Brunswick has been hit with flooding along the St. John River, impacting many people who barely have had time to clean up and de-stress from last year’s event.
“I don’t know if I could have gone through another flood without your help, this year has been very stressful,” said Bessie, who once again is in temporary accommodations arranged by the Red Cross on behalf of the New Brunswick government. “I feel like it was only yesterday you helped me evacuate my home the first time.”
In 2018, Stacie Yates from a Red Cross service called Safety and Wellbeing, reached out to Bessie to check in and ensure the Froud’s were coping during the evacuation. This connection has lasted a year with regular calls and check-ins long after the water receded, and they returned home.
“Bessie called in March and was concerned that the waters were going to reach her home again,” said Stacie. “For a woman who has been through so much stress, she said there was one thing she never had to worry about that, ‘The Red Cross will always be always there.’”
“Although Bessie was always so grateful for what the Red Cross had done for her, I on the other hand was grateful for what she had done for me.”
Stacie and Bessie will continue to stay in touch over the coming weeks when the Frouds once again return home. “Stacie has become a good friend, someone I could talk to and who is always willing to listen to me,” said Bessie. “I am happy I have people like this during this stressful time”