United Way Halifax begins paying out $1.3 million to communities affected by NS wildfires

HALIFAX, NS — United Way Halifax has raised $1.3 million to help communities affected by recent wildfires in the region.

Twelve churches, libraries, First Nation communities and other organizations in the Tantallon, Shelburne and Barrington areas have already received their share of the money raised through donations, both locally and from around the world.

“We are hearing from the community that there are different needs for people who have been displaced or lost homes and property as a result of the wildfire,” said Sara Napier, CEO of United Way Halifax.

“We are grateful for every donation that has come in, and we are committed to investing those donations to help meet needs quickly and effectively,”

Napier said the phase one funding will be used to buy and distribute food, appliance replacements, baby hygiene items and cleaning supplies, as well as help with transportation costs and other costs associated with fire relocation.

“Phase two will focus on some of the longer-term needs in the community, which we expect will be very different from what we see now,” Napier said.

“It is anticipated that some of these longer-term needs may be related to mental health care, support for those who were uninsured, social network recovery and more.

To better understand the community’s funding needs, a member of United Way Halifax will be on site weekly at the Tantallon Community Resilience Center to listen to residents’ concerns.

More organizations are expected to be approved for funding, and interested parties may as well email United Way Halifax for an application link.