On March 6, a fire tore through a historic building in downtown Bowmanville, Ont., forcing many people to evacuate their homes.

The region’s emergency response team and the Red Cross arrived at the scene promptly to extinguish the fire and support the affected residents by relocating them to hotels. In the days following the fire, the Region of Durham invited The Salvation Army to become a drop-in hub for gift cards and monetary donations to assist displaced residents.

Aux-Lieutenant Allison Rennick, corps officer and community ministries officer at Bowmanville Community Church, explains the Army’s role in supplementing the work of other organizations on the front lines.

“We partnered to receive donations and put together packages of gift cards. Then the region transitioned the residents to access the Army directly for ongoing support,” she says.

More than 40 individuals affected by this disaster reached out to The Salvation Army in the weeks following the fire. Aside from receiving gift cards, many accessed food support, while others were helped in other ways. For example, the Army partnered with an agency to help some of the residents get back missing IDs.

The Salvation Army’s staff did their best to accommodate everyone’s needs. “A woman came in and told us her sleep apnea machine had been destroyed and it was brand new. We were able to reach out to a couple of places in the area, who then were able to donate and help her. We have been a resource for the victims,” Aux-Lieutenant Rennick adds.

Although the situation was difficult and overwhelming, many of the residents expressed their appreciation for the assistance they received.

“The victims were grateful,” Aux-Lieutenant Rennick says. “They didn’t know what they needed at the moment and didn’t know where to turn. They were just in survival mode. We were grateful to hear that, even within a few weeks, some of them were able to secure housing moving forward. For those still in transition and struggling, we will continue to offer support.”

The Salvation Army will work with each of the residents in the months ahead as they aim to get back on their feet. Aux-Lieutenant Rennick notes that the community of Bowmanville has shown generosity in offering support for the victims.

“Lots of people have reached out, and we were blessed to have an amazing volunteer base to keep our operation going,” she shares.