A Duncan resident is calling on community members to donate their recreational vehicles to first responders and health care workers in need of places to quarantine.
Ryan Oakley said he and his family were just getting ready to put a new RV they bought into storage when he saw a story online about first responders and the need for them to sometimes quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the story caught his attention because he has first responders in the family.
“It got me asking ‘what are they going to do?'” Oakley said. “I was looking out the window at my trailer and thought ‘why don’t I just offer it up?'”
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Oakley let some of his first responder friends know he’d be willing to park the trailer in front of their homes so that if they need to quarantine, they won’t be far from family. He then asked a friend of his, who owns RV Rent Vancouver Island, if they’d be interested in helping others out.
“My friend jumped at the opportunity … they can’t rent [RVs] right now anyway because nobody is camping,” Oakley said.
Since coming up with the free initiative, Oakley said he has created a Facebook group for it and has gathered about 10 to 15 RVs for use but he’s looking for more. He said he wants this movement to spread across the country and the United States, if possible.
“My hope is that this will just explode and through the generosity of Canadians, we come together,” Oakley said. “Everybody is kind of under pressure right now and we’re in completely uncharted territory … I have a three-year-old daughter and I couldn’t imagine being quarantined away from her. At least this way I’d be able to wave at her through the window.”
Those interested in helping out or health care workers and first responders in need of an RV to quarantine can reach out to Oakley through the Facebook page RV’s for 1st responders. Oakley asks that those who have an RV to donate post about its details, where they are located and whether or not they can deliver in the Facebook group as well.
