There are many families who are struggling this holiday season and food banks and other community resources and organizations can always need a little bit more help around the holiday season. Whether you want to volunteer your time to do good or you are looking to drop off a few items there are multiple ways to get involved and to give back during the holiday season.
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5. Donate Your Time
This is one of the most obvious but you could donate your time to a variety of organizations during this time of year. Food banks and churches, other organizations in BC, rely on help from members of the community throughout the year. Spending the afternoon or a day giving back to others in your community is a great way to do a little something that goes a long way to help others around you.
4. Donate Some Goods
Have some extra canned goods around or want to buy some toys for kids this Christmas? There are multiple ways that you can donate. Find a church near you that is having a food or toy drive, donate some used clothes to them to give out to those who need it. There are organizations like the food bank and other places where you can organize to drop off food donations if you have them. Look for food bank donations at your local grocery store this season.
This is an organization which helps Canadians around the country and it has been collecting donations and doing good for years in different communities. It is easy to make an online donation and the resources go a long way to those in Canada who need a helping hand.
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2. SPCA
Don’t forget that this time of year there are also animals around the province that need help too. SPCA locations need all of the help from the community that they can get and it is easy to send donations online or to sponsor a kennel or play area for a cat or dog with the SPCA. There are multiple ways to get involved and give back to a great organization that is doing so much to help animals in the province who are in need.
There are several community projects that are around to help those who are food insecure in the country and who are struggling to make ends meet.
For example, there is thenew grocery market in Vancouver now that allows customers to pay whatever they can afford. And buying items from this market and giving a generous donation helps to keep the project going. There are other community projects as well, such as free food fridges, that could also use the help during the holiday season. Get some extra food or toiletries together and drop them off at a free community fridge in BC for others to access who need the assistance.
There are a number of international firefighters that have now arrived in B.C. to help battle the hundreds of fires that are currently burning around the province.
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Some firefighters from Mexico just recently arrived and will undergo COVID-19 testing before being deployed to work alongside crews already battling those blazes up around the province. There are thousands of firefighters currently working around BC battling the wildfires that are burning in the province.
The hundreds of fires burning around B.C. are placing a heavy strain on the resources here and now international firefighters have come in to offer some relief.
They have answered that call for more assistance and they are going to be joined from other international firefighters as well coming in from Australia. Now, there are going to be a number of Australian firefighters headed to Canada to help with the fires too. Help is coming to fight the fires in BC and this means dozens of firefighters coming into the province from other countries.
The crews are allegedly going to both work and live in bubbles to try and minimize those COVID-19 risks. This has been a challenging season so far for crews around the province, with hundreds of fires they’ve needed to address. Evacuation orders in BC have been given out in a variety of regions and some families have been evacuated more than once, with evacuation centers and hotels in various places filling up quickly with those evacuees.
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Warnings have also been issued about air quality in the region and potential risks that might be associated with those wildfires. Authorities report that they are seeing fires now grow more rapidly and they are working to get control of the situation. The province has recently declared a state of emergency over the wildfires that are burning on the West Coast.
Hundreds of wildfires are burning in BC and they are leaving thousands of homes and properties at risk of being destroyed. Dozens of evacuation orders in BC have already been given out this summer. There are even more evacuation alerts that have been issued in connection with those wildfires in BC this summer.
The fires burning in BC have impacted a number of communities already, some regions have burned significantly such as Lytton, B.C. which saw a great portion of the region destroyed. The fires have already impacted the supply chain on the West Coast to some extent and forced many families and individuals to seek refuge elsewhere.
For a majority of those wildfires burning in BC it has been reported that they were started by lightning, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few that have not been attributed to human activity as well. This summer thousands of families around BC have faced evacuation orders.
There are already a variety of efforts that have been organized to help those displaced by the fires around BC this summer. The BC SPCA and other pet organizations are also busy helping animals as well in BC who have been impacted by those fires and now would be a great time to adopt or foster an animal in need.
There are multiple options to help people and animals right now who have been impacted by fires in BC.
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Help for fire evacuees in BC
Vernon BC – O’Keefe Ranch : O’Keefe Ranch has reportedly suggested that they are open to anyone who needs to set up camp for a place to stay, they need to register as an evacuee. They have room for both pets and people. If you want to find out more you can call the ranch at 250-542-7868 or contact them through their FB page.
The Salvation Army Kelowna: The Salvation Army Kelowna has helped evacuees this year and gathered donations such as water, food, and more, to give out to the hundreds of families in BC who are in need after being evacuated from those fires.
Lumby hall – At Lumby Hall they’ve opened the doors to those evacuees that have been impacted by the Michaud and the Octopus Creek fires in the Kootenays. They will be offering food and supplies but are still looking for volunteers and more supplies for the cause.
Chilliwack Emergency Service Reception Center Chilliwack Senior Secondary, 46363 Yale Road, Chilliwack Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm 604 316-4967
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Hope Emergency Service Reception Center Camp Hope 61855 Lougheed Hwy, Hope
Merritt Emergency Service Reception Center 1721 Coldwater Avenue, Merritt Hours: 10 am to 7 pm
Oliver Emergency Service Reception Center Royal Canadian Legion Branch 97, 36217 Main Street, Oliver 250-486-1890
Prince George Emergency Service Reception Center CN Centre, 2187 Ospika Blvd. S, Prince George Hours: 9 am to 5 pm Phone: 250 561-7600
Salmon Arm Prestige Harbourfront Resort, 251 Harbourfront Drive NW Hours: 8 am to 5 pm Phone: 250 833-3360
Williams Lake Lake City Secondary School 640 Carson Drive, Williams Lake Phone: 250 267-4861 Hours: 8 am – 11 pm
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There is also the BC Wellness support for evacuees line which is available 24/7 for psychosocial and wellness support made available to evacuees over the phone. This is a free service and the number is 1 888 686-3022
In areas like Kamloops, Merritt, Salmon Arm, what little accommodations there are in the market have already filled up quickly from those evacuees who needed to leave their homes. The BC Hotel Association, as reported by CTV, has been working for weeks to identify possible hotel spaces for evacuees in the province.
One thing has been certain throughout all this and that is that there are thousands of British Columbians who are eager to help those who have been evacuated and those who are in need around the province.
One cat rescue that is located in Mission, British Columbia, has recently had to reportedly close the doors because of the high demand they are seeing right now of cats in need.
They are overwhelmed with the amount of cats that are coming into the rescue in Mission, they have urged anyone who has considered in making the move to foster a cat to possibly think about making now the time to look around at doing it.
There are many cats in need of a good home whether that means fostering one or adopting one to offer it a forever home, cats all around BC have been dropped at rescues as people head back to work after the pandemic. There are multiple ways to help cats in B.C. and adoption is one of those ways that makes a big impact.
Some people are going back to work now and will no longer be at home to care for their pets they might have adopted last year. Or, they could be travelling for an extended period of time etc, whatever the reason, there are many cats who need help and who have been dropped off or found their way to rescues.
Cat Therapy and Rescue Society in Mission, B.C
Hundreds of those cats in B.C. that need homes are being cared for at the Cat Therapy and Rescue Society in Mission, B.C. The Cat Therapy and Rescue Society in Mission is a rescue venue that has a capacity for 300 cats and they have had to shuffle even more cats to foster homes because there are many that are coming in who need a home and need the proper care and help given to them.
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If you cannot take on in yourself there are also options of adopting kennel spaces with the SPCA and giving to those rescue missions that are helping cats, like the Cat Therapy and Rescue Society in Mission, B.C. Now is the time to help cats in B.C. who need adoption, and other animals affected by wildfires etc, through the BC SPCA and other animal-centered organizations that are doing the hard work to help.
Multiple Ways to Help
There is more than one way to get involved and try to help one or more cats and other animals that might need help or a home at this time. With wildfires burning around the province this has also caused some animals to be rescued by the SPCA too and it might be giving money or giving a home space to a cat, you can find more than one way to help.
For anyone around B.C. that might be looking for a cat right now and have room for a new pet, this rescue in Mission is just one place to look that has cats available. The BC SPCA is another area to look for cats that are up for adoption.
You can find ways to financially offer support as well, for medical care or kennel and play space for cats and dogs that are with the BC SPCA also. This is a great way to support many more animals in the community without having to take them in because a number of people are restricted currently from having pets where they live.
For those cats who do not end up finding help or a home they could end up becoming injured, abused, or killed, and there is a great demand right now in B.C. with cats that are looking for their forever home.
Since things have been reopening not just in Canada but other areas too this has been an ongoing trend it seems of people who have been returning their cats and pets to shelters, or abandoning them in other places. This is increasing the need for cat foster volunteers and forever home adoptions who are willing to help.
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Why are people abandoning their pets?
It’s likely that some didn’t put enough thought into the long-term commitment that it would take to look after those pets that they adopted at the beginning of the pandemic. Maybe they thought they would be working from home for good but now that things have changed they need to make other arrangements? There are a variety of reasons why one animal might end up being unwanted and returned.
For animal lovers around the U.S. and Canada it has been hard to see the multiple stories coming out lately of those animals being abandoned in a variety of places.
In B.C. there are a number of animals that need help too because of the wildfires right now and some of them have even been returned to their owners after they had evacuated. The BC SPCA is a great organization that works to give that help to those animals who are in need around the province. This is an organization that has been working for years to offer that emergency hand to help and care for the different animals who are in trouble or being abused in the province.
There are other shelters around B.C. as well who have also been doing meaningful work to help rescue cats and other pets that need it and to offer them a safe and peaceful place. Right now there are multiple ways to help cats in BC that need adoption. One of those ways to help is to sign up to foster pets, or you could adopt one or more of those pets in need. Another way to help would be to also choose to give financial donations to help animals who need care or shelter as well around the province.
For anyone that wants to help cats that need adoption in BC these are just some of the ways to do it.
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Foster A Cat
Looking to foster a cat right now? That rescue above in Mission has a Foster Parent Application that you can fill out if you are interested in offering a forever home to one of the animals there.
BC SPCA Cat Adoption and Foster Opportunities
Through the BC SPCA website you can also find tools that allow you to search for cats that are up for adoption right now too. On their website there are a variety of cats that are currently listed who are looking for homes. They are also recruiting foster volunteers around the province. For that mission to recruit new foster volunteers they mention on their site that they are looking at finding pet foster volunteers around areas like Vancouver Island, Okanagan/Kootenay Region, as well as in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, and the Northern B.C. region.
How do you foster a cat?
Fostering a cat is a great way to offer help to those cats in B.C. that need help right now and are in transition to finding their forever home. You might not be able to make a full-time permanent commitment but there are also other ways to help by offering a temporary shelter to those cats who are in need. Fostering a cat is as easy as contacting the BC SPCA or another organization that is looking for foster volunteers, filling out any required paperwork or answering any required questions and going through any vetting process before being paired with the animal in need.
What does a foster volunteer do for the cat? The foster volunteer home is going to be an environment that helps to prepare the animals for their forever home adoption. The foster home for the cat is going to give that cat a chance to live in a safe environment where they feel they can fully express themselves and work to overcome any difficulties or fears from trauma. The foster volunteers help to strengthen the services that the BC SPCA is able to provide for animals around the province.
Foster volunteers are needed for those cats who still need a home in B.C. today. But there is more than fostering as a way to help, you could also adopt a cat, financially support a cat or dog etc, or give a donation to an organization that is helping to rescue and offer those emergency services to cats in need around the province. No donation made to help a cat, dog, or animal in need in the province is going to be a donation that is too small to help. Every donation matters and goes toward helping those animals in B.C. who need it.
Offering to adopt, foster volunteer, or make a money donation, are moves that can go on to protect and enhance the quality of life animals in BC.
Adopt a cat in BC if you can but don’t forget to consider there are other ways to help too aside from the adopt a cat option, because not everyone can adopt a cat in BC at this time. If you are also looking for other ways to help cats in BC then consider those mentioned above.
There are more than 1,000 people who have been forced from their homes in Lytton, B.C. after the wildfire destroyed more than 90% of the town. Donations are currently being accepted and makeshift evacuation centers have been established, and now there is also an RV park near Chilliwack that is offering free camping to those impacted by the wildfire.
The people who have had to quickly evacuate from Lytton have been left with nothing. Donations are being accepted for those who have been impacted, including everything from cash and gift certificates, to tablets, phones, baby products, personal hygiene items, and more.
In a post to Facebook the Popkum Motor Park noted that they are opening their doors to those who have been impacted in Lytton. In that post they have said for anyone who might need a place to camp or stay, that they want to be the one to help in that regard and offer free camping at the RV park.
This is an opportunity for those who need help and shelter to be able to find a space for free camping and the Popkum Motor Park only asks for proof of a Lytton address. They’ve got water, space for tents and sleeping, outhouses, all that they ask is those who are in need show up.
For more information on that offer for those in need of a place to stay they are asked to please email ride@popkummotorpark.com or call 778.255.7433
All Around BC 