The Red Cross is helping those impacted by flooding in British Columbia by providing direct financial support.
Canadian Red Cross Vice-President BC & Yukon, Kimberley Nemrava, says the money, made available through donations, is designed to help ease the financial hardship that comes when you're evacuated.
"The parents may have to take time off work to help sand bag their homes or arrange for repairs of their home. They may need to replace all the food in their fridge, if the food has gone off, or they may need to replace simple things like a child's favourite toy that was lost," she says.
Nemrava says $600 is available to registered households, whose primary residence was damaged by flooding, and also for people whose homes were impacted by landslides brought on by rain.
In the weeks to come, Nemrava says the Red Cross will continue working alongside local authorities to provide further support to affected individuals and families on a case-by-case basis.
To be considered eligible for financial assistance, households that were evacuated and whose homes were damaged by flood waters, can register for Red Cross assistance online at redcross.ca/gethelp, or by phone at 1-800-863-6582.
Flood-impacted households who have already registered with their local authorities must also register with the Red Cross. Households that have not registered with their local authorities may still apply for this assistance.
The most effective way to receive this financial assistance from the Red Cross is to submit one email address during the registration process so financial support can be sent electronically.
Nemrava says the direct financial assistance is made possible by the generosity of Canadians who have donated more than $8.2 million to-date to the Red Cross Spring Floods Appeal, with $5.8 million raised for Quebec and $2.4 million raised for all other affected regions in Canada.