‘It definitely gives me comfort’: Maritimers find shelter through Canadian Red Cross

For nearly two days after Fiona, Alicia Getz wasn’t able to speak with her mother in Cape Breton.

Now that she’s safe at the Red Cross shelter, they’re able to speak daily. That’s just one of the services offered at the facility.

“It definitely gives me comfort. My daughter is here as well with me. I’m thankful that they are here for us, looking after us,” says Getz.

“Here at the Canada Games Centre, we are offering shelter as well as food for anyone that needs it,” says Kelsie Meaden, the emergency management coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross. “Anyone that was evacuated from their homes or it’s been more than 72 hours without power and they want some shelter and a warm place to stay and eat, then they can come here.”

Shawn Downey and his wife are staying at the Canada Games Centre too. They were in bed when the majority of his roof blew off during the storm. Emergency crews allowed him to go back the next day to grab a few personal items.

“I went in and I got my brother’s ashes, I got pictures of my grandchildren, I got pictures of my daughter when she was young. I couldn’t grab everything,” Downey says.

He is thankful they have a place to rest and recover.

“I appreciate that they open up their hearts to let us in here and I’m feeling very grateful,” he says.

It’s a story being told around the province.

“We have people that are volunteering, feeding thousands of people in the past few days. We have people that are helping their neighbours, staying positive, checking on their neighbours,” says Antigonish Mayor Laurie Boucher.

The acts of kindness and charity can come in small gestures too. Nusret Hajradini is offering a free hair washing to anyone still without power.

“I came from a country where we were poor and when people give us something or do something for free, we appreciate it. Same thing, when something happens bad the people don’t have anything, I want to do it,” the barber says.

As for the Red Cross shelter, they have been averaging about 70 people per night for the first three days after the storm. Those numbers were down to 30 Monday night.

Meaden says they will continue to operate the shelter as long as there is a need to do so.