The Yorkton Tribal Council is helping out with the evacuees from northern communities. They are currently accepting donations to go to people forced from their homes due to the fires still burning up north.
The YTC is currently accepting all kinds of donations, including food, personal hygiene products, baby items, non-perishable food items, gift cards, new undergarments, blankets, clothing and childrens toys and books. Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup says that the most urgent need is grocery items, including canned goods, baby formula and diapers. The need for food is urgent enough that they are considering going door to door in order to get food.
“We’ve been talking about doing a canvass of Yorkton, where people can donate one can of dried goods, just one can. We could go door to door, because while I wouldn’t drive down here to donate one can, if we knock on someone’s door they might.”
The YTC Social Committee has also given a cash donation of $3,000 to the cause, and is challenging businesses to do the same. She says their donation went to baby needs, things like formula and diapers, and she expects that it has already been used to feed the children who need it.
“I’m sure that lasted one day.”
While O’Soup says that there are no evacuees in Yorkton itself, to her knowledge, she says that we know what a natural disaster can do when it hits, and that’s why it’s important to support the people who need it now.
“I thought about this because when the City of Yorkton flooded a couple of years back, it was a crisis for Yorkton. Even though it was a water situation, fire is the same thing, a natural disaster.”
The first week of donations has been delivered to Beardy’s First Nation. O’Soup says that their goal is to bring resources to the people who need it most, and the decision to deliver to Beardy’s was driven by the need to give to the people with fewer resources. Having heard that Beardy’s was really struggling to meet the needs of evacuees in that community, they decided to deliver there.
The YTC will accept donations as long as the fires are burning. If that means they have to continue until snowfall, as some people are predicting might be required, then that means they will find a way to continue their support. They thank SIGN for giving a place to collect donations.
“We’ll be here if we’re needed, we’ll help any way we can.”
To that end, anyone with something to donate can contact Jeannie Elnarson at the YTC office at (306)782-3644. They will be willing to pick up any donations as well if someone can’t deliver.
