HELP ELDERS WILMA & JIM PAUL REBUILD AFTER FIRE

Vernon BC, Canada

 

They need your help! They need to start rebuilding or replacing their home as soon as possible. They hope to raise enough money to rebuild or find something affordable to live in as they did not have house insurance.

Everyone will remember what they were doing on the once-in-a-lifetime date 2-22-22, and it should be exciting. Unfortunately, Wilma, Jim and their nephew will remember this day for the rest of their life, not as joyous, but as a tragic one.

Once they realized their home was on fire, they had little time to get everyone out. Thankfully no one was hurt in the blaze. Unfortunately, Wilma and Jim had lost the first pets they had ever owned, their two cats named Kitty and Cat. Sadly, the home they built together 35 years ago burned to the ground. Nothing left but a pile of ash.

 

Residential school survivors, Wilma and Jimmy, worked hard to build their home, starting in 1986. Since then, they spent countless hours digging boulders and removing tree stumps to create green space around their home and had eventually added a garden over time. Jimmy tinkered around the yard daily, and Wilma would spend her time cooking in the kitchen to feed the friends and family that would visit them. Anyone who visited their home knew it was a welcoming home and learned how excellent her bannock was.

 

Wilma and Jim are a very generous, kind, and loving couple and well-respected elders of the OKIB community. She is a wonderful aunt, grandma, sister, sister-in-law and would always be there to help and lend a hand, and her husband was always by her side, supporting her in all that she did. She would open their home to nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, and whoever else needed a place to go. Their home was home to so many, and sadly it is gone.

 

The family has nothing but the clothes on their back. No one had time to grab their wallets or purse and get their ID and gain access to their bank cards. Their nephew is a grade 8 student at W.L. Seaton and has no clothing to attend school. They have appointments with ESS in the coming days and are accessing services from the Red Cross, but that will only do for a short time.

 

Please donate to help Wilma, Jim, and their nephew get back on their feet after this devastating and life-changing event. They are currently staying with family until they can get into something of their own.

 

Items they will need to purchase:

 

Band Liaison Grant Louis will take donations to the family. In addition, gift cards for food, clothing and gas are accepted. You can contact Grant at the number and email provided below. We ask that you DO NOT donate any physical items due to storage limitations.

 

OKIB is a registered qualified donee, and as such, can issue a donation receipt for tax purposes. Please get in touch with Grant to request a tax receipt.

 

To reach out to the family, don't hesitate to get in touch with the family liaison, Cheryl Louis:

 

Band Liaison

Grant Louis

250.306.7179

addworker(@)okanagan.org

 

Family Liaison

Cheryl Louis

250.938.5221

oppenheimer.ca(@)gmail.com