When the wildfires began in Nova Scotia this week – one of them in an area I frequent and where lots of acquaintances live – our family tried to come up with ways to help.
When we evacuated Houston in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey, we had an active and high needs five year old in tow that we still needed to entertain for ten days. Even though we were exhausted, stressed, and more than a little cranky. I remember being so grateful to organizations that offered free entry and distractions as the long hours dragged on, watching to see what the damage would be and if we would have a house to go back to.
So I reached out to the librarians at the Keshen Goodman library, my ‘home library branch’, which happens to be right next to the Canada Games Centre, a comfort/evacuation centre.
If you’re evacuated or your school/daycare is closed because of the fires and you need a fun and comforting space for an hour, please bring your littles to Keshen Goodman (330 Lacewood Dr.) from 10-11am on Friday, June 2nd for this free event.
My writer/illustrator friend, Jack Wong, will kick things off with his fantastic new book When You Can Swim and lead us in an art activity. Then I’ll read Flood of Kindness (my two-time flood survivor friend Ellen Levanthal’s book), and my own Alis the Aviator. There will be a fun school-age craft to take away as well.
If you would like to support survivors in another way, we invite you to donate to the United Way Wildfire Relief efforts. They will connect with people in the coming weeks to offer help with groceries, mental health, and other basic needs. What I appreciate is they will specifically prioritize those experiencing poverty or marginalization, to support people who may have limited access to resources during the recovery and rebuilding process.