Even though her trailer home was lost in the wildfires that raged through parts of Nova Scotia in early June, Dorothy,* an 88-year-old from Shelburne, Nova Scotia, continued cooking from another location to provide food for all the firefighters.
The fire started May 27 near Barrington Lake in Shelburne County and grew rapidly. On June 13, the province announced the fire was under control at around 230 square kilometers in size.
More than 6,700 people had to flee the flames that destroyed about 60 homes and 90 other structures.
Thanks to the prayers and gifts from Canadians like you, one of our specially equipped Disaster Relief Unit tractor trailers arrived in the area and worked with local volunteers and residents to clean up properties and sift through ashes to find keepsakes or possessions that survived the flames.
Dorothy bravely tried to fight the tears as she watched orange-shirted volunteers find her precious collection of ceramic bells. Dorothy was grateful for the work and especially loved the Bible we presented to her, signed by all the volunteers who worked at her home site.
Other homeowners were amazed that volunteers would continue sifting and cleaning up their properties even when it was raining.
Please pray for the people affected by wildfires in Nova Scotia. Ask the Lord to lead as our long-term recovery team considers how to continue walking alongside these families on the long road to restoration that lies ahead.
Through your prayers and gifts, you can make it possible to send relief teams across our country to help Canadian families and share the hope of Christ wherever disaster strikes.
*Name changed to protect privacy
Help Samaritan's Purse respond quickly to victims of disasters within Canada, providing not only physical assistance as people clean up and rebuild after floods, fires, and other disasters, but also emotional and spiritual support in the aftermath of tragedy.