An updated list of items badly needed for victims of the New Year’s Eve fire in a Lewis Street apartment building has been updated.
Medix BC has been collecting donations for the victims since Jan. 1, and thanks to the generosity of Cowichan Valley residents, the list of required items is getting much shorter.
The following items are urgently needed as of Monday, Jan. 4, according to a post on Medix BC’s Facebook page:
– new and unused packaged men’s underwear (all sizes, larger preferred)
– new and unused packaged socks
– new and unused packaged woman’s underwear (all sizes, larger preferred)
– new and unused packaged woman’s bras and sport bras (all sizes, larger preferred)
Space was running out for donations of other items, the post explained.
“I just want to once again thank everyone who donated up, even up to this moment, for everything that you have done and given of yourself,” Medix owner and donation drive organizer Lyle Jordan wrote. “From our core organizers to our volunteers and to all of you. This has been a renewal of humanity like none other.
“As of this morning [Monday, Jan. 4] we have looked at our current capacity for clothing donations and we are at maximum. This means we cannot at this time take anymore donations, with the exceptions of below on this update.”
Cash donations are being accepted through a GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/39d11ed4. Those donations will go toward providing additional housing as it becomes needed, to pay for transportation assistance, and to help address personal items that are not listed, or unique expenses.
Jordan asked people to hold off on donating furniture, household items and kitchenware for the time being, as they don’t yet know what the needs will be.
In an earlier post, Jordan expressed his gratitude to Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau, Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples, North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring, the team at Klean Detailz, and New Life Community Baptist Church for being among the first to step up.
“This Valley has shown the absolute best of humanity and we are all so immensely grateful and proud of every one of you for this incredible outpouring of heart,” he added in Monday’s update.
