Employee of Princeton Skills Centre answers call for help for Alberta

Leah Ward organized the Princeton Skills Centre for drop off and pick up of donations for Alberta.

Mason Squawkin and Alfred Snow of Okanagan Nation Alliance pose with  Kolby Lytle (l) and Rylee Forde (r) the two young ladies who helped to load the trailer full of donations from Princeton, bound for Alberta.

Mason Squawkin and Alfred Snow of Okanagan Nation Alliance pose with Kolby Lytle (l) and Rylee Forde (r) the two young ladies who helped to load the trailer full of donations from Princeton, bound for Alberta.

On Wednesday, June 26 the Town of Princeton issued a request to residents to help Alberta flood victims.

The request came via phone, email, word of mouth and through social media.

A truck was to pick up donations in Princeton on Friday, and someone was needed to take on the task of organizing.

Leah Ward and her daughter Kolby had been discussing the Alberta situation just the day before and when Ward heard of the Towns request, she went to her supervisor, Sharan Jung at the Princeton Skills Centre who immediately gave Ward permission to use the Skills Centre as a drop off and sorting area for donations.

Kolby and Rylee delivered flyers to help notify residents.

Within just over 24 hours, donations filled the large room in the centre.

“It’s just amazing,” said Ward as  she looked over the amount of items donated. “Money does not come easy these days, but even people who don’t have much came in and gave what they could.”

Food (dried goods), pet food, toiletries, bedding, baby supplies, water jugs, sleeping mats and bags and more covered the tables and floor of the room.

Princeton Crisis Assistance, Mac’s Auto Parts and Everything Pets were among the businesses who made large donations of supplies.

Okanagan Nation Alliance pick up the donations in the Okanagan and Canadian Freightways out of Kelowna, ships it all to Alberta.

Well done, everyone.

 

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