I’m sure most of you are aware that this society was just recently set up to funnel funds from the Shuswap Community Foundation through to those most in need due to the fire. The board has been very busy, and spending a lot more time than was initially thought it would take, to get the money flowing. And that’s ok, it’s super important, and very gratifying when we are able to provide some comfort or supplies to people who have been burned out.

We want to keep you, our community, in the loop about how we are helping.  We’ve chosen to provide updates in the Kicker each month and we’re now considering other options for communication. We just had a board meeting this morning – over 3 hours is typical – and have determined that the Kicker would continue to be the main avenue of communication.  We will also add the occasional blog post on the NSDRS web page at NSDisasterRelief.ca, and, occasionally this blog and my FB sites.
 
The assistance process we are using includes submission of a completed assessment from by members of the North Shuswap community who have been impacted by the wildfire, with no insurance, and are in need of assistance. These assessment need forms are reviewed and a liaison from the Board is assigned to meet with them and determine how best we could help them. This information is then taken back to the Board meeting for review and decision on what financial assistance might be provided. Each assessment is different from the others as circumstances have a wide range.
 
We can’t talk about specific cases as we have all signed non-disclosure agreements and we need to respect people’s privacy. We can share how many we’ve helped and the funds allocated and this will be in the monthly Kicker article. To date we’re working with about 25 ‘clients’ (some are single, some families etc.) and as of mid-December had allocated roughly $200,000.

We still have applications coming in after the Christmas Break and are back on the wagon figuring out how best to help get our community members safe and secure for the long term.

To make a donation visit the Shuswap Community Foundation at http://shuswapfoundation.ca/#donate