United Way begins paying out $1.3 million raised after wildfires at NS

The United Way Halifax has begun distributing more than $1.3 million it has raised to help people whose homes have burned down or had to evacuate due to the recent wildfires in Nova Scotia.

Community organizations began applying last week, and more than a dozen in Barrington, Shelburne and the Tantallon area have already received funding and are connecting people with the money.

“Now that people are home, the needs are deeper. The needs are a little bit more tied to poverty or lack and scarcity in our rural communities,” said Amy MacKinnon, whose organization Our House Youth Wellness Center in Barrington and Shelburne has donated some of the money.

The largest wildfire in Nova Scotia’s history began in Shelburne County in late May and destroyed 60 homes. Another, which began near Upper Tantallon outside Halifax, led to the evacuation of more than 16,000 people and destroyed 150 homes. Both fires are now under control and residents are allowed to return.

The consequences of the fires are complex, MacKinnon, who is director of Our House Youth Wellness Center, told CBC Radio’s Main Street Halifax.

She said there are families where one or both parents cannot work and lose wages. She said some people have lost everything they’ve worked for all their lives, and it’s especially hard for those who live off paycheque to paycheque.

“If you just keep your head above the water, it’s like a wave coming over you and pushing you underwater.”

‘Thousands of homes evacuated’

She said it is not known how many people are in need because someone new shows up every day for support.

“People who are just coming out of the fog of what happened don’t know exactly what they need,” she said.

For many people whose house has burned down, it is not clear where they will live.

Tanya Moxley, the treasurer and board member of St. Nicholas Anglican Church in Upper Tantallon, said there are many requests for groceries and basic supplies.

“Thousands of homes were evacuated. And how many thousands of those will have to replace the fridge or freezer? And there are only so many that you can get into the city of this size in two days,” Moxley said.

The church has already spent the $5,000 it received from United Way on grocery gift cards. A second funding request was approved this week.

Turn around quickly

Sara Napier, the president and CEO of United Way Halifax, said individuals and companies alike have donated to the call.

“Thousands of people performing in different ways and that’s everything from lemonade stands and young kids raising money to a huge concert where everyone donated everything in kind,” she said.

United Way, she said, has traditionally been an organization focused on supporting the most marginalized groups of people.

“In a case like this, we know that there are many more people who may not have described themselves in a position of distress, but who describe themselves today as in a position of distress,” Napier said. “We don’t judge that.”

Funds from the profession will continue to be invested in trusted community organizations, she said. And organizations that have already received funding can reapply.

“We’ll turn that around very quickly to make sure people aren’t lost.”

Applications are approved within 24-48 hours and funding is available to those organizations almost immediately.

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