With the COVID-19 pandemic leaving many people jobless or in need, members of the Bragg Creek Ladies Auxiliary (BCLA) have been doing what they can to support local families who are struggling.
For the second time since the pandemic began, the organization has set up a COVID-19 relief fund that can be accessed by residents of the hamlet.
“Historically, the auxiliary has supported a number of different relief efforts in the community,” said past president and member Michele McDonald.
McDonald said early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCLA was asked if it would steward a donation to support families in need. She said the donation was intended to help people with their groceries, rent and other immediate support.
The donation money was doled out quickly, according to McDonald, as many people found themselves without work for months on end.
Now more than a year into the pandemic, the BCLA has been asked to steward another donation through an anonymous donor for the same reasons.
“We have been steady this time around with the COVID-19 relief supports,” McDonald said, adding the auxiliary has noticed a lot of the money used has gone toward educational needs.
“Parents’ income has been effected radically, jobs have gone,” she said. “Things like bus fees along with medical and groceries are what we are seeing a lot.”
The support is available to most Bragg Creek residents who reach out, according to McDonald. She said there is a referral process, but eligibility requirements are not very exclusive, as the donor wants the relief fund to take a grassroots approach.
“There are very few questions asked,” she said. “We have a roadmap if there seems to be systemic problems. I am pretty confident what we are doing is in line with what the donor has asked of us.”
McDonald referenced the large flood that swept through Bragg Creek in 2013, which left many residents with damaged or lost homes, cars, businesses, and other properties in the region. She was a part of a group that raised $90,000 in three weeks to help locals get back on their feet.
She said the BCLA is taking a similar approach with its COVID-19 relief fund.
“People just need help, and they need it now,” she said. “We have had practice with this.”
When times get tough, according to McDonald, is when communities need to rally together.
“This is what holds strong communities together,” she said. “People want to know that their neighbour has their back.”
For more information on the relief fund, McDonald encourages people to email [email protected].
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
