Emergency update

Updated August 19th

WEGCSS is back up and running fully this week, so this will probably be the last emergency update. 

  • The Daycare is open as usual Monday – Thursday
  • The LC is open as usual Tuesdays 9.30am-5.30pm
  • Youth Centre is back up and running on Saturdays, 7.00-10.00pm
  • Summer camps are back in Slocan in WE Graham School
  • The office is open Tuesday – Thursday 9.00am – 4.00pm
The RDCK  is running a resiliency centre in the LC on Monday 19th August, 10.00am – 2.00pm and Thursday 22nd  August 4.00pm – 8.00pm. 
 

Updated August 14th

  • Reminder Food Bank tomorrow, Thursday 15th August, in Slocan as usual 11am – 3pm. 
  • Youth Centre will reopen this Saturday 17th August, 7pm – 10pm. Come on down to reconnect with your friends, for 12- 18 year olds.

Updated August 13th

  • WE Graham Community Service Society office is open, and will be open Tuesday – Thursday 9.00am – 4.00pm this week.  We have N95 smoke masks available for anyone who needs them.
  • Food Bank will take place at the food bank here in Slocan on Thursday at the usual time, 11.00am -3.00pm. A limited amount of emergency supplies will remain available at the Resiliency Centre in Appledale also, until end of day on Thursday, for those who may find it easier to access help there.
  • Valhalla Children’s Centre will remain closed this week and will reopen on Monday 19th August.
  • Seniors Connect fitness, tai-chi with Daphne, will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 14th August, 11.30am – 12.30pm at the Bindu Studio – 5676 Winlaw Bridge Rd, Winlaw, BC V0G 2J0. Following sessions will be held in the Legion hall  in Slocan as planned.
  • Summer camps will continue at the location in Winlaw (Pharatree) for this week, more info to follow.
  • The Learning Centre will reopen next Tuesday, 20th August.
  • We are continuing to support seniors emergency needs, and working to resume our usual supports and services in the coming days. 

Updated August 12th

Great news today as the evacuation order for Slocan is reduced to an alert. Good luck to all going back to their homes. The WE Graham Community Service Society office will be open for our usual opening hours this week, Tuesday – Thursday, 9.00am – 4.00pm. Other programs and services will resume normal operations as and when they can. If you have any questions or need any support in the coming week please call into the office during opening hours, or phone 250-355-2484, or email info@wegccs.org.

  • The WEGCSS van is being put to good use today helping evacuees in Castlegar with no transport to return home. 
  • The Learning Centre will not be open tomorrow, Tuesday, due to staff not being available.
  • No confirmation yet on when Valhalla Childrens Centre will reopen.
  • Food Bank will take place this Thursday, however we will confirm tomorrow (Tuesday) as to whether this will take place in Slocan at the food bank , or at the Sifco Resiliency Centre in Appledale, once we have had a chance to assess the situation in the building.  
  • Summer camps will continue to operate from Pharatree in Winlaw for this week, with further updates to follow.

Updated August 8th

  • Seniors Lunch, for all seniors and an open invitation to any evacuees in the area to join us as well. Friday 9th August, Slocan Park Hall, 11.30am – 2.30pm. Free, open to all, no booking required.
  • Hot lunch at the Resiliency Centre, Thursday 8th August, 12.30pm for all evacuees, provided by SIFCO. Chantal, WEGCSS ED, will also be at the Resiliency Centre today to help anyone who may be having difficulty registering with ESS, or other concerns. 
  • Seniors support at WEGCSS is trying to access support for seniors or vulnerable people still inside the evacuation zones, and for those Seniors who were denied ESS as they may have misunderstood the insurance question (you are not denied help because of house insurance, only if your insurance coverage includes evacuation support). If this is you or someone you know, please contact Miryam on 250-777-8339, or seniors@wegcss.org.
  • We will have more N95 smoke masks available at Fridays seniors lunch and at the Appledale hall from Friday if you need them.
  • Summer Camps have relocated to Pharatree in Winlaw for the timebeing. Contact Jen at svearlyyears@wegcss.org or check out the summer camps page; Kids Summer Camps – WE Graham Community Service Society (wegcss.org)

Updated August 5th

We have further supplies available at the Sifco Resiliency Centre for those in need, who can get to Appledale. There is various fruit (apples, oranges, grapes, blueberries and so on), a limited amount of vegetables and bread, and some dairy (milk, cream, coffee cream, half and half and so on). 

The volunteers at the resiliency centre will be able to help you with this between 9am and 5pm. You do not have to be registered with Food Bank, but if you are already registered, please let them know your name, and if not they will take details of your household. A huge thankyou to the Slocan Village Market for the donations, and the SIFCO Resiliency centre for providing this service on our behalf.  

If you are a senior and need assistance please contact Miryam on 250-777-8339, or seniors@wegcss.org. For other enquiries contact info@wegcss.org

Updated August 2nd

We ran a very busy food bank day yesterday, hosted by the SIFCO Resiliency Centre in Appledale. A huge thankyou to them, and everyone who helped and donated, in particular Jordan Knott from Slocan Village Market, who was amazing, and Food Banks BC for their emergency support.

SUPPORTS STILL AVAILABLE:

  • There is still produce and other supplies available at the Sifco Resiliency Centre in Appledale for those who didn’t make it yesterday. They are open from 9am – 5pm.
  • There are emergency kits including smoke masks available at the Sifco Resiliency Centre in Appledale, open 9am – 5pm
  • If you are struggling financially due to the current situation and not getting the support you need from ESS, contact West Kootenay Nav-Care as they have some emergency funding and they may be able to help. 
  • If you are a senior (65+) and need support please contact Miryam our seniors coordinator at  250-777-8339 or email slocanvalleybetterathome@wegcss.org
  • If you have any other questions or concerns please email info@wegcss.org 

Updated July 30th

Please note, the best way to contact us is via info@wegcss.org. The wegcss slocan facebook page is currently inaccessible, we cannot receive messages that way. The WE Graham Community Service Society page is still functioning with updates, however it is more effective to contact us via email than via the page. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 

If you cannot access the SIFCO resiliency centre in Appledale on Thursday and require food bank, please email us. As always we cannot give boxes to  other people to deliver without permission from the person receiving the box. We will endeavour to make deliveries to housebound people or seniors in these extenuating circumstances.

Seniors requiring support can contact Miryam on 250-777-8339. This number will be checked daily for any messages left. 

 

Updated July 29th

Slocan Valley Food Cupboard will take place this Thursday 1 August at the Sifco Resiliency centre in Appledale from 11am – 3pm. This is open to all who are still resident in the un-evacuated areas of the valley, and anyone evacuated who is staying somewhere in the valley. If you are evacuated and staying elsewhere (for example castlegar or nelson) please access the food banks in those locations if you need food support.

As always contact us via info@wegcss.org if you have any questions or concerns. 

Updated July 28th

Slocan is now under evacuation order. We hope everyone in the evacuation area has managed to leave safely or is staying safe. 

As WEGCSS office and building is under evacuation we will be unable to provide most of our services and programs at this time, however we are working remotely to do what we can. If you are struggling in the current situation please contact us via email on info@wegcss.org or via facebook and we will offer what help and advice we can.  Facebook and email will be being monitored regularly.

Please register with the ESS if you have been evacuated at ESS Home ESS Home – Emergency Support Services (gov.bc.ca) they can provide financial assistance, or go to the registration centre at Selkirk College in Castlegar to register in person. 

WEGCSS priorities over the coming days will be:

  • to liaise with our clients on our Seniors support programs to ensure they are safe and whether they need assistance. 
  • to continue to work towards providing food bank support to those still in the south of the valley who have not been displaced, and any of those evacuated who remain in the south of the valley. We will update on how this will happen when we have more details.
  • If you have evacuated to a location outside the valley and need food support, please seek access to food banks in those locations. 

Updated July 25th:

The office at WEGCSS is closed until further notice. Our staff needed to prioritise their own safety at this time. Our main email info@wegcss.org is being monitored as regularly as is practical if you need to contact us. We will resume operations as soon as possible.

Updated July 24th: 

The office at WEGCSS is open for those who may need support, advice or emergency food, during our usual hours until things change.

Daycare and Summer Camps will remain closed until the village is no longer under alert.

We will be opening up the Legion hall in Slocan from 1pm – 3pm today for lunch, free and all welcome. 

For updates on the changing situation please check the RDCK website, or the BC wildfire website.  If you are evacuated register online via https://ess.gov.bc.ca/ where you will also find details of how to do so by phone or in  person.

We will update this post as we can with any changes in information on our services and programs. 

From July 23rd;

With the village of Slocan now on evacuation alert, daycare and summer camps are cancelled. We are available at the office if anyone is in need of food, or needs support, please call in or contact us 250-355-248