Salvation Army in Penticton Lends a Hand after Wildfire

The municipality of Summerland, B.C., was heavily affected by the recent Bald Range wildfire. This blaze started on Aug. 7 and forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

Since then, The Salvation Army in Penticton, located just over 17 kilometres from Summerland, has worked alongside local organizations to ensure evacuees have access to essentials.

Major Paul Trickett, leader at The Salvation Army in Penticton, has helped coordinate donations and partnerships to support those impacted.

While many of the evacuees have now returned home, the long recovery process is just beginning, as some suffered extensive property damage and lost belongings.

“Many people have lost everything. So, to us, this is still an emergency,” Major Trickett says. “We are supporting them with clothing and food where needed.”

Supporting Residents Through Recovery

As residents return to Summerland, demand for assistance is increasing. Many individuals who couldn’t work during the evacuation now face financial difficulties.

To help address this need, The Salvation Army provided approximately four pallets of nourishment to the Summerland Food Bank.

The effort was made possible through a regional partnership.

“We partnered with the Kelowna Food Bank, which is the main hub for our region,” Major Trickett shares. “So, they’re helping us help Summerland; we’ve all kind of gelled.”

Community Organizations Come Together

The collaboration among organizations across the area has been extensive. Major Trickett says the response has brought people together as they work toward a common goal of helping those in need.

“Out of tragedy, our community really came forward,” he adds. “It has been amazing to see, quite frankly.”

The Salvation Army also partnered with a local heating company whose owner lost his home in the fire. Together, they have provided bedding and hygiene supplies to residents affected. The local Church of Latter-day Saints, Sikh Temple and Rotary Club have also donated to the Army to assist with relief efforts.

The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) teams also arrived from other parts of British Columbia, as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan, to provide additional resources.

At the same time, The Salvation Army’s Penticton food bank continues serving people in its own community. During the initial stages of the response, some supplies were redirected to help evacuees, putting additional pressure on what was available to local residents.

A Community United

However, The Salvation Army has thankfully been able to keep up so far, highlighting the importance of donors.

“This is why we collect donations during Christmas in our kettles. That’s why we do mailouts. So we have the means to respond to events like these that we don’t see coming,” Major Trickett explains.

Now that the wildfire has died down, residents can begin the extensive recovery process. It may be a long journey for some, but they can be sure of one thing: they are not alone.

“It is amazing to see just humanity come together,” Major Trickett says. “Everybody was helping. It really brought our community closer.”

By Juan Romero