'Nobody will answer us': Confusion leads to frustration for dozens looking for aid at Charlottetown Red Cross

Tempers were high for dozens of people waiting outside the Red Cross office in Charlottetown again Wednesday.

It was the second day for many of them, waiting to prove their identity to receive $250 in provincial aid they applied for over a week ago.

Some have been waiting since 7 a.m. Wednesday. The office only opens at 11 a.m.

“It’s like seven times having to call them. Seventh time yesterday, that’s a bit much. I’m getting frustrated,” said Cathy Andrew. “Husband and I lost a lot of the food in our fridge and our freezer.”

The wait time Tuesday was as long as eight hours and many were turned away and told to come back Wednesday.

The Red Cross office can process 13 people an hour and is open for nine hours a day, less than 200 people in a day.

Frustration was the key emotion in the line Wednesday. People were fed up, and that’s boiled over in a few cases, with people having curt words for the volunteers. Everyone is frustrated, just hoping to get the aid they’ve been promised.

Some were in line waiting to register, but many just needed to prove their identity to receive $250 in provincial aid they’d already applied for online.

“Nobody will answer us, that’s the problem,” said Corey MacAulay. “You’re not getting answers, and when you do get an answer, it’s a different answer from the last person, and that’s the frustrating part.”

The Red Cross has opened an additional site in Montague, P.E.I., and another in Summerside, P.E.I., Wednesday. Some visiting the Charlottetown office Wednseday travelled from Summerside because they hadn’t heard about the new one.

“If, for some reason, when you were there, if there was somebody who did not receive the latest update as to what some on these challenges are, then that’s certain on us, as the Red Cross,” said Bill Lawlor, the provincial director for the Red Cross in P.E.I. and New Brunswick. “We’ll certainly continue to improve that communication and briefing on regular intervals throughout the day, but we have been since the beginning of this operation.”

Volunteers were handing out tickets with time stamps. The first in line, -- the very old, and those with young children -- could get times between 11 a.m. and the noon hour.

At the midpoint in the line, the tickets were for 4:30 p.m or later.

“Friggin’ furious. All that waiting and I’m in the wrong line,” said Jennifer Horton. “So, I have to come back at 5:30 p.m., and they’re saying come back at five because the lineup could be another hour.”

The Red Cross is switching to an appointment system as early as Thursday, but details have not yet been released.

Until then, waiting in line at a Red Cross site is the only way to get help in person.