United Way NWT is lending a hand to wildfire evacuees with some financial support.
Over the course of the summer, United Way NWT has been raising a substantial amount of money to help with the various wildfires that have affected so many northerners. Over 85 percent of what has been raised has gone to charities, non-profits, community governments, and First Nation governments.
This all amounts to $495,000 being used to help evacuees. The voluntary United Way NWT Emergency Response team is straining to help an unprecedented and expanding amount of wildfire evacuees from Hay River, K’atl’odeeche First Nation, Jean Marie River, Fort Smith and potentially other communities. Responding to Northerners forced to evacuate South; the United Way NWT changed its policy to include grants for Alberta organizations supporting NWT. As well as ramping up their fundraising efforts.
David Connelly, Chair of the United Way NWT’s Emergency Response Committee said in a statement that “United Way NWT is grateful for the support we’ve received from all over North America for our community members since May. Unfortunately, this fire season is unusually active, and we anticipate a record number of requests from organizations reaching out to us for funding support.”
To respond to the unprecedented number of residents evacuated or at risk of evacuation and the anticipated fire season length, the United Way NWT is redoubling its fundraising efforts and setting a goal of $1,000,000, all of which will be redistributed.
Anyone who would like to donate to United Way can do so by clicking here.
