A truck load of clothes, bags, toiletries and other goods will be on its way to Slave Lake, Alberta, Sunday following a collection drive by two local charities this week.
Partners for Others and Joy for Tomorrow, who have collaborated in the past on collecting donations for Africa, united again to help out people who lost everything as a result of the devastating fires that swept over the northern Alberta town last week. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of the town of 7,000 was destroyed by the fires.
The effort was launched by Krista Carnegie, who runs Joy for Tomorrow. She immediately sprung into action upon hearing about the fires and set up a Facebook group and started the collection drive. She enlisted the help of Jackie and Ray Brosseuk, who run Partners for Others, which collects clothing and other goods to send to Africa.
“It’s the concept of people doing small things creates a big difference,” she said when asked what motivated her.
On Saturday, a team of about a dozen volunteers were on hand to sort out the bags and bags of goods that were donated, along with numerous items from the thrift store. They were at the Brosseuk’s warehouse in the Big Eddy, which was still without a roof following its collapse this winter.
Carnegie said about 25 garbage bags of kids clothes, 10 garbage bags of adult clothes, seven boxes of toiletries, lots of shoes, bags and more were brought in by a variety of people and businesses.
Pharmasave donated several boxes of toiletries, Selkirk Dental donated toothbrushes and toothpaste, Society Snow & Skate donated t-shirts and bags and PT Farm Market. also donated leftover bags, Carnegie said.
She is planning to drive to Westlock, Alberta on Sunday, where the relief effort was being coordinated.
Carnegie’s efforts garnered her widespread attention. She was interview by the CBC and Vancouver Province. She said she was getting contacted by people from across the country asking her where they could leave donations.
Carnegie said that she and the Brosseuk’s plan on setting aside a load of goods over the summer to be used in case of any future emergency relief efforts.