A group of Vernon businesswomen have come up with their own way to lend a hand with the ongoing wildfire situation.

Alison Ludditt, Lisa Gallie and Li Fryling have opened a donation centre to support the hundreds of evacuees from the Central Okanagan who have arrived at Vernon香蕉视频直播檚 Emergency Support Service (ESS) reception centre at Kal Tire Place Arena.

With wildfires raging in the Central Okanagan and Shuswap, Ludditt, like many other Vernonites, desperately wanted to help in some way. However, Vernon香蕉视频直播檚 ESS had all the volunteers it needed.

Ludditt heard from a friend who was an ESS volunteer that donations of food, clothes and other items were needed, but the city couldn香蕉视频直播檛 accomodate the collection.

After Gallie began inviting people to drop off donations at her store, Big Sun, Ludditt 香蕉视频直播� owner of The Room Collection 香蕉视频直播攈ad the idea to offer up her furniture warehouse to collect, sort and store donated items.

People are welcome to come by the back of the warehouse at 907 Kalamalka Lake Rd., where already a team of volunteers has come out of the woodwork to accept donations.

香蕉视频直播淧eople are just itching to do something to help,香蕉视频直播� Ludditt said. 香蕉视频直播淲e all feel so lucky and so grateful that this year it香蕉视频直播檚 not us, and the minute Lisa put out the word to drop donations at Big Sun, people started showing up. And then as soon as we said we have a warehouse for your stuff, they came in droves.香蕉视频直播�

The women have set up a 香蕉视频直播渇ree store香蕉视频直播� at Kal Tire Place 香蕉视频直播� a trailer filled with donated goods that evacuees and firefighters can help themselves to.

They started the initiative Monday morning and will be at the warehouse tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the free store will also be available.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been unbelievable. Businesses that have shown up with $1,000 to $2,000 worth of donations, and just all the humans that are really wanting to help, they show up with boxes of diapers and juice boxes and snacks for the firefighters,香蕉视频直播� said Ludditt, adding Vegpro in Lavington donated 700 bags of salad yesterday.

Ludditt knew there would be evacuees forced from their homes in need of basic items, but was surprised to learn that the firefighters are in need of items too.

香蕉视频直播淭hey are not being nourished as well as they should be,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey are getting meals but they need energy drinks and protein bars and chocolate and all these things just to boost them up, because they are working 18 hours at a time.香蕉视频直播�

Firefighters are also in need of fresh fruit and vegetables, Ludditt said.

While the women have been authorized by Vernon香蕉视频直播檚 ESS to bring donations to Kal Tire Place, no one else has that authorization. The women are asking people to bring donations to the warehouse as the ESS does not have the resources to process donated items.

All donations must be new, as required by the ESS.

Check out the Instagram accounts of and for updates on which items are needed at a given time.

Items currently in need include:

香蕉视频直播� Men香蕉视频直播檚 and women香蕉视频直播檚 clothing

香蕉视频直播� Baby formula

香蕉视频直播� Bottles of juice, pop

香蕉视频直播� Protein drinks in plastic bottles

香蕉视频直播� shampoo, conditioner, hair brushes

香蕉视频直播� Soap and deodorant (male and female)

香蕉视频直播� Diapers

香蕉视频直播� Phone chargers

Ludditt says the team will continue to help for as long as needed, and with more firefighters coming to the area, she expects the need to last 香蕉视频直播渇or quite a while.香蕉视频直播�

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