Two New Brunswickers headed for Quebec this week to help those affected by massive flooding.
Denis Cormier of Dieppe, has been volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross for almost ten years.
He says when disasters like this arise, there is always a need for a large number of volunteers. His job is to ensure they are trained correctly to deal with these difficult situations, “With the number of people affected and displaced, the extent of the damage, we’re talking about thousands of people affected. Right now, all of our regular volunteers are mobilized, and that is why they now have to call upon other people from the community who didn’t volunteer with the Red Cross before, to lend a hand.”
Volunteer roles vary, “We certainly meet people who have suffered significant losses and you can see that they are quite emotional, but not all roles are client facing. There are many needs for volunteers in logistics, training and other things.”
More than 4000 homes were hit with flooding in over 100 cities and towns across the province. More than 3500 residents had to be evacuated.
