Support Muskoka Flood Families
Donation protected
After many conversations with local agencies to understand the flood, it’s impact and how victims are being affected, I have a plan in which I believe can support the tragedy now and the ongoing efforts of our local charitable programs.
Please note this Facebook Group and it’s associated Go Fund Me Page, are not directly affiliated with any agency, municipality or organization. This is an effort created solely to allow individuals the opportunity to help others in their community. While there are programs in place to assist, this is for those of us that wish to extend an extra hand personally.
All funds raised through the Go Fund Me Page will be given directly to our Salvation Army locations in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville. These locations offer a variety of services directly to individuals affected by the flood and also in conjunction with municipalities/local agencies supporting flood victims. While it is too soon to tell what the exact need will be, it’s clear people in our community have been or will be affected. As of now, the Go Fund Me Page is active and will remain active until water levels come down and definitive need/damage has been determined. Should our generosity surpass the need for flood victims, all additional funds will be used to support the ongoing local initiatives the Salvation Army offers in our community.
Some of the services they provide are:
Food Bank
Temporary Emergency Shelter
Clothing
Transportation
Prescription, dental & other medical help
Funding for utilities
Overnight & day summer camps for kids
Back to school back packs
Christmas Hampers
Emergency Disaster Response
The Salvation Army relies solely on local donations to meet the needs of those in our community. While a disaster clearly identifies a need and desire for people to help, year round and partnered with other community agencies, this organization provides exceptional support to those in need through out Muskoka.
The Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville Salvation Army locations service each community and their surrounding areas. Should you wish for your donation to go to a specific Salvation Army location, please indicate that when you donate.
If you are in the Bracebridge area and would like to donate, please stop into TELUS @ 295 Wellington Street to see Stephanie Waters and her team. Stephanie’s Grandparents were affected by the 2013 floods and she immediately jumped in to help with 2019. Not only are they collecting in person donations, TELUS will match every dollar donated, up to a maximum of $2,500 which will also go directly to our local Salvation Army.
I’m still solidifying details on donation drop locations and logistics so please stay tuned for that.
At present time, all those evacuated have either found a place to stay or have been given accommodation through local agencies. Should the need arise, emergency shelter centres will be initiated again. If you have offered personal space to those affected, I will be sharing that information to see if it can be of assistance.
There are many lines of communication and my secondary goal for this page was to help streamline the information available, so we know when and how we can help.
I was discussing this topic yesterday with a friend. The truth of 2019 is that there are many of us that don’t watch the news or stay as connected as we probably should. I’ve learned A LOT in the past 48 hours about services and support for both disaster relief and day to day needs in our community. I’ve outlined some key information and contacts to help us all.
211.... what is it? 211 is a non-profit organization that provides a gateway to community, social, non-clinical health and related government services... 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I admit until today, I did not know this service was available. As we’ve seen, they also step in to assist with disaster relief.
If you are affected by the flooding in anyway, 211 is your first line of communication to get the assistance you need.
If you want to help... you can call 211 to see what assistance if any is needed. Note that the system works by town/municipality so each of our six has it’s own profile. Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, Lake of Bays, Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay. Needs change and vary however as of late morning, there were no specified needs for assistance in any of our municipalities. Additionally some have indicated when there is a need, it will be broadcast through social media as we have seen and we will share it here as well.
Each municipality has an emergency update on their website with the most current information for residents and volunteers.
Muskoka Lakes
https://www.muskokalakes.ca/content/2019-muskoka-lakes-flood-information
Gravenhurst
https://www.gravenhurst.ca/en/services-and-info/current-information-alerts.aspx#Emergency-PreparednessSand-bag-Locations
Bracebridge
https://www.bracebridge.ca/en/index.aspx
Huntsville
https://www.huntsville.ca/en/home-property-and-planning/emergency-information.aspx#
Lake of Bays
https://www.lakeofbays.on.ca/en/our-community/emergency-services.aspx
The District of Muskoka is providing updates as well which includes restrictions on who can use water ways during the flood, disposal of flood damaged materials, drinking water advisory and locations to obtain potable water. There is also an abundance of information to keep everyone safe.
https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/2019-flood-information.aspx
Sand Bag Locations
While there is no active call for volunteers to assist with sand bags, there may be individuals that require assistance at some of these locations, should you wish to lend a hand. If you or someone you know needs assistance with sand bags, please indicate when and which location so we can get the word out. See comments for the correct method to use sand bags effectively.
Muskoka Lakes
Glen Orchard Yard - 3951 Muskoka Road 169
Patterson Yard - 1078 Raymond Road
Bala Sports Park - 3224 Muskoka Road 169
Hanna Park - 40 Bailey Street
Gravenhurst
Cowbell Lane (at the end of lane)
Severn River Road East (at cul-de-sac at Hwy 11)
Graham Road (at end of road)
Sunshine Court (at end of court)
Municipal Public Works Yard located at 1054 Crawford Road
Bracebridge
Fowler Construction at 1206 Rosewarne Drive
George Road
Huntsville
Sunbelt Rental (formally CRS) at 40 Cairns Cres. in Huntsville [phone redacted] (bags only)
Hutcheson Sand & Gravel at 1265 Aspdin Road in Huntsville [phone redacted] (sand and bags)
Muskoka Rock Company at 815 Muskoka Road 3 N in Huntsville [phone redacted] (free sand only)
Port Sydney Fire Hall at 387 South Mary Lake Road in Port Sydney (free sand and bags)
Burrow's Pit at 7 Burrow Pit Lane (free sand and bags)
Lake of Bays does not supply sand bags. Please contact the following for sand bags and/or sand:
Home Depot (9 Ott Drive, Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
Sunbelt Rental, formally CRS (40 Cairns Cres., Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
Hutcheson Sand & Gravel (1265 Aspidin Road, Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
If you have been displaced or have damage to your home, are a small business or farm owner, please refer / apply for Disaster Recovery Assistance through the Province of Ontario:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-disaster-recovery-assistance
The Federal Government has engaged an emergency local Services Canada team to assist residents or businesses affected by flooding. This service is only to assist with Federal issues (loss of documents, or EI). Please contact Hon. Tony Clements office during regular business hours: 44A King William Street, Huntsville, ON or [phone redacted]
If you need support due to flooding, refer to the comprehensive and up-to-date information on the websites listed above. If you are not sure where to start in seeking support for yourself or your pets, please call Muskoka Victim Services.
No one will be left unsupported!
They are a phone call away. 1-844-762-9945
Phew..... took a little longer to put together than I expected but I hope it’s helpful!! I would like to thank the individuals at 211, Town of Bracebridge, Red Cross, Victim Services and The Salvation Army that took time to share information with me so I could effectively offer assistance from one neighbour to another.
Finally.... please invite people to the FB group and help spread awareness. If you would like to share this post and the group, please copy and paste to generate your own post as the Facebook algorithm will expose the information to many more of your “friends” than a regular share.
#MuskokaFlood #LoveToAllThoseAffected #BeKindToOneAnother
Please note this Facebook Group and it’s associated Go Fund Me Page, are not directly affiliated with any agency, municipality or organization. This is an effort created solely to allow individuals the opportunity to help others in their community. While there are programs in place to assist, this is for those of us that wish to extend an extra hand personally.
All funds raised through the Go Fund Me Page will be given directly to our Salvation Army locations in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville. These locations offer a variety of services directly to individuals affected by the flood and also in conjunction with municipalities/local agencies supporting flood victims. While it is too soon to tell what the exact need will be, it’s clear people in our community have been or will be affected. As of now, the Go Fund Me Page is active and will remain active until water levels come down and definitive need/damage has been determined. Should our generosity surpass the need for flood victims, all additional funds will be used to support the ongoing local initiatives the Salvation Army offers in our community.
Some of the services they provide are:
Food Bank
Temporary Emergency Shelter
Clothing
Transportation
Prescription, dental & other medical help
Funding for utilities
Overnight & day summer camps for kids
Back to school back packs
Christmas Hampers
Emergency Disaster Response
The Salvation Army relies solely on local donations to meet the needs of those in our community. While a disaster clearly identifies a need and desire for people to help, year round and partnered with other community agencies, this organization provides exceptional support to those in need through out Muskoka.
The Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville Salvation Army locations service each community and their surrounding areas. Should you wish for your donation to go to a specific Salvation Army location, please indicate that when you donate.
If you are in the Bracebridge area and would like to donate, please stop into TELUS @ 295 Wellington Street to see Stephanie Waters and her team. Stephanie’s Grandparents were affected by the 2013 floods and she immediately jumped in to help with 2019. Not only are they collecting in person donations, TELUS will match every dollar donated, up to a maximum of $2,500 which will also go directly to our local Salvation Army.
I’m still solidifying details on donation drop locations and logistics so please stay tuned for that.
At present time, all those evacuated have either found a place to stay or have been given accommodation through local agencies. Should the need arise, emergency shelter centres will be initiated again. If you have offered personal space to those affected, I will be sharing that information to see if it can be of assistance.
There are many lines of communication and my secondary goal for this page was to help streamline the information available, so we know when and how we can help.
I was discussing this topic yesterday with a friend. The truth of 2019 is that there are many of us that don’t watch the news or stay as connected as we probably should. I’ve learned A LOT in the past 48 hours about services and support for both disaster relief and day to day needs in our community. I’ve outlined some key information and contacts to help us all.
211.... what is it? 211 is a non-profit organization that provides a gateway to community, social, non-clinical health and related government services... 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I admit until today, I did not know this service was available. As we’ve seen, they also step in to assist with disaster relief.
If you are affected by the flooding in anyway, 211 is your first line of communication to get the assistance you need.
If you want to help... you can call 211 to see what assistance if any is needed. Note that the system works by town/municipality so each of our six has it’s own profile. Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, Lake of Bays, Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay. Needs change and vary however as of late morning, there were no specified needs for assistance in any of our municipalities. Additionally some have indicated when there is a need, it will be broadcast through social media as we have seen and we will share it here as well.
Each municipality has an emergency update on their website with the most current information for residents and volunteers.
Muskoka Lakes
https://www.muskokalakes.ca/content/2019-muskoka-lakes-flood-information
Gravenhurst
https://www.gravenhurst.ca/en/services-and-info/current-information-alerts.aspx#Emergency-PreparednessSand-bag-Locations
Bracebridge
https://www.bracebridge.ca/en/index.aspx
Huntsville
https://www.huntsville.ca/en/home-property-and-planning/emergency-information.aspx#
Lake of Bays
https://www.lakeofbays.on.ca/en/our-community/emergency-services.aspx
The District of Muskoka is providing updates as well which includes restrictions on who can use water ways during the flood, disposal of flood damaged materials, drinking water advisory and locations to obtain potable water. There is also an abundance of information to keep everyone safe.
https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/2019-flood-information.aspx
Sand Bag Locations
While there is no active call for volunteers to assist with sand bags, there may be individuals that require assistance at some of these locations, should you wish to lend a hand. If you or someone you know needs assistance with sand bags, please indicate when and which location so we can get the word out. See comments for the correct method to use sand bags effectively.
Muskoka Lakes
Glen Orchard Yard - 3951 Muskoka Road 169
Patterson Yard - 1078 Raymond Road
Bala Sports Park - 3224 Muskoka Road 169
Hanna Park - 40 Bailey Street
Gravenhurst
Cowbell Lane (at the end of lane)
Severn River Road East (at cul-de-sac at Hwy 11)
Graham Road (at end of road)
Sunshine Court (at end of court)
Municipal Public Works Yard located at 1054 Crawford Road
Bracebridge
Fowler Construction at 1206 Rosewarne Drive
George Road
Huntsville
Sunbelt Rental (formally CRS) at 40 Cairns Cres. in Huntsville [phone redacted] (bags only)
Hutcheson Sand & Gravel at 1265 Aspdin Road in Huntsville [phone redacted] (sand and bags)
Muskoka Rock Company at 815 Muskoka Road 3 N in Huntsville [phone redacted] (free sand only)
Port Sydney Fire Hall at 387 South Mary Lake Road in Port Sydney (free sand and bags)
Burrow's Pit at 7 Burrow Pit Lane (free sand and bags)
Lake of Bays does not supply sand bags. Please contact the following for sand bags and/or sand:
Home Depot (9 Ott Drive, Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
Sunbelt Rental, formally CRS (40 Cairns Cres., Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
Hutcheson Sand & Gravel (1265 Aspidin Road, Huntsville) - [phone redacted]
If you have been displaced or have damage to your home, are a small business or farm owner, please refer / apply for Disaster Recovery Assistance through the Province of Ontario:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-disaster-recovery-assistance
The Federal Government has engaged an emergency local Services Canada team to assist residents or businesses affected by flooding. This service is only to assist with Federal issues (loss of documents, or EI). Please contact Hon. Tony Clements office during regular business hours: 44A King William Street, Huntsville, ON or [phone redacted]
If you need support due to flooding, refer to the comprehensive and up-to-date information on the websites listed above. If you are not sure where to start in seeking support for yourself or your pets, please call Muskoka Victim Services.
No one will be left unsupported!
They are a phone call away. 1-844-762-9945
Phew..... took a little longer to put together than I expected but I hope it’s helpful!! I would like to thank the individuals at 211, Town of Bracebridge, Red Cross, Victim Services and The Salvation Army that took time to share information with me so I could effectively offer assistance from one neighbour to another.
Finally.... please invite people to the FB group and help spread awareness. If you would like to share this post and the group, please copy and paste to generate your own post as the Facebook algorithm will expose the information to many more of your “friends” than a regular share.
#MuskokaFlood #LoveToAllThoseAffected #BeKindToOneAnother
Organizer
Katie Peleikis
Organizer
Bracebridge, ON
