Port aux Basques residents grateful for support, says Salvation Army major
Some residents of Port aux Basques continue to sit and wait as cleanup efforts push on, two weeks after post-tropical storm Fiona left mass devastation in its wake.
Maj. David Harvey of the Salvation Army is in the community offering support.
Harvey told CBC News on Monday those lucky enough to have their houses still standing have begun returning home. Others, he said, are still waiting for results of their home assessments.
"People are waiting to see if there's a final decision on whether the house will remain where it is or whether the house will be destroyed," he said.
Some residents of Port aux Basques continue to wait for final results of their home assessment process, says Maj. David Harvey of the Salvation Army. (Malone Mullin/CBC)
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"That's one of the big stressors that's happening with folks at this point within the community."
Harvey said the Salvation Army has pivoted to helping source goods for people who are slowly moving back into their homes.
Cupboards and refrigerators need to be restocked, he said, as people try to regain some sort of normalcy after the massive storm uprooted hundreds.
The Salvation Army provided turkey dinner on Sunday for those celebrating Thanksgiving.
Harvey said there wasn't a large turnout, which is something he's grateful for.
Harvey says the Salvation Army has been providing meals to residents, but also support workers including Canadian military members who are aiding in the clean up. (Submitted by Cpl. Braden Trudeau)
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"That means people are sharing this Thanksgiving with the folks they have. Even though there's a lot of devastation and things are lost, there's still a lot of thankfulness for that — the fact that it could have been a lot worse," he said.
"People are thankful for the fact that even though they lost, they still have their family that's around them."
The Salvation Army, along with other supports, has been providing meals to those in need and those who are helping in the clean up effort including town staff and Canadian military members.
Harvey said everyone has been thankful along the way and the opportunity to help has been amazing.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the week, he said, every day will be different.
"It will depend on people and what they're looking for and asking for and wanting to receive," he said.
"Some people are starting to get back into their homes, so they're going to need food items and so forth. Others are still trying to figure out what's happening next."
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The federal and provincial governments have announced millions of dollars in funding to help those impacted by the storm and rebuild critical infrastructure.
Civilian benefit efforts have continued to crop up, including a benefit concert being held in St. John's on Oct. 30.
Harvey said the community's Lions Club is swamped with clothing donations. Figuring out where all of that goes, and what to do with the clothing that's left over, he said, is high on the priority list.
This articlew as originally published for CBC News. Contains files from the St. John's Morning Show.
