Local groups and individuals in Portage la Prairie continue working together to support evacuees from northern Manitoba wildfires, as dozens of displaced residents remain in temporary accommodations across the city.
Mari Kozar, executive director of the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation (PCRC), says they’re coordinating support efforts with the city and other stakeholders.
“We just need some more support,” notes Kozar. “We’re looking for support during meal time from about June 5 to 15 right now on the schedule.”
Volunteers are also needed to help manage the donation room, check in volunteers, and provide general information to evacuees about supports and services in the area.
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Volunteer help already making a difference
Kozar adds that community response has already been strong.
“We’ve had a number of stakeholders who have supported the evacuees already like Portage Bear Clan. We have had Salvation Army, who have been really supportive, the Portage Friendship Centre, the Family Resource Centre,” she says. “We also have different faith-based organizations like Prairie Alliance Church and River Road Gospel.”
Kozar continues, “We’ve got individuals too, who have reached out to support, and things are coming together. Our community is very supportive of anything that’s going on here and we’re seeing that with the evacuation efforts.”
She remarks that donations continue to come into City Hall and that residents have been stepping up in many ways.
Chamber brings business community into the fold
The Portage la Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce is also stepping in to support evacuees, says executive director Stefanie Dunn.
“We are working with our community partners. The City of Portage la Prairie has been coordinating volunteer efforts as well as a list of donations,” says Dunn. “Certainly, if anyone is wishing to help out either by volunteering or donating, we have that information from the city on our social media pages and we’ll have it in e-mail format as well.”
Dunn notes that the Chamber is compiling a guide for evacuees to help them navigate their temporary stay in the community.
“We know that these evacuees left with nothing, and we just want to be able to bring them a little bit of peace of mind wherever we can,” she says. “We’re working with our tourism partners, we’re working with our Chamber members in the business community just to come up with a guide and some ideas on how to pass the time for these individuals.”
Local businesses showing their support
While the guide is still being developed, Dunn mentions some businesses have already come forward to offer deals.
“We’ve definitely had a few businesses pop up in the last week saying that they’d like to offer a special discount,” she says. “That is our work right now, to compile that list and be sort of a one-stop shop of all those resources, supports, and just bits that are popping up in our community.”
She continues, “There’s no doubt that when something does happen, a tragedy does occur, we know that Portage is amazing at coming together and bringing people together and we’ve seen no shortage of that with the wildfire evacuees.”
Where to find help or offer support
For anyone looking to volunteer or donate, Kozar says they can contact her at m.kozar@portagecrc.com.
Meanwhile, Dunn encourages residents to refer to official sources.
“If anyone is looking for information on how they could help, I’m always going to direct them to the City of Portage la Prairie,” she says. “Their website, their social media has a lot of great information and that’s where we are sourcing those official updates from.”
Dunn adds, “We just really encourage everyone to continue to come together and ensure that we are a welcoming refuge for these individuals.”
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