As the province grapples with the aftermath of widespread, devastating flooding, there’s been an outpouring of support for those directly dealing with the damage.
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One of the many groups helping out is called Team Rubicon Canada – a nonprofit that uses the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to deploy emergency response teams.
Volunteers with Team Rubicon have the skills and knowledge needed to help out after disaster strikes.
“We’re more the tactical, get dirty, get hands-on kind of stuff,” volunteer Ric Henderson told Global News.
The group is currently in the Fraser Valley, helping with hazard mapping, identifying issues on roads and mapping out flooded properties.
Next, they’ll be helping individuals with their flooded homes by going in to remove belongings, drywall and carpet.
“Everybody has a unique set of skills. There’s all kinds of things that need to be done, whether it’s helping with sandbagging, the incident management, the logistics, helping feed and housing our people.… There’s all sorts of skills we look for,” Henderson said.
Another group lending a hand is the Yarrow Food Hub. It started as a single table on Nov. 19 and has grown into an important resource for flooded-out residents in and surrounding the community of Yarrow.
“We sat down and decided the little table on the side of the road needed to be much, much better. People can walk in and take what they need. We have crockpots, the ladies cook and bake and do buns for us every day,” Yarrow Food Hub’s Victoria Kuit said.
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Kuit said the hub is also the go-to spot for people needing anything from a hot lunch to clothing, blankets and safety gear.
“We’ve sat out and listened to some really terrible stories. We just try to support everybody,” she added.