Helping hands for flooded-out public housing

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2010 (5828 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Churches, community groups and area businesses have come to the aid of several hundred residents of a Manitoba Housing complex in Transcona whose basements were flooded during last weekend’s heavy rainfall.

The residents have received gifts of new and used clothing and non-perishable food after sewer backup contaminated most of their belongings but they still need more.

"There are 100 units here and all got some amount of water, from a few inches to a foot or a foot-and-a-half," said Debra Merrick, a family education worker at a family resource centre building located in the heart of the Plessis Road complex, located between Dugald Road and Pandora Avenue.

Residents were sorting the donated clothing items Thursday afternoon, placing them on makeshift shelves to make it easier for their neighbours.

"We suggested that for anything that they had in their basement, that they just throw everything out," Merrick said, adding most of the belongings had been contaminated with sewage or mould.

Trancona city councillor Russ Wyatt said he was upset with the province’s slow response. Wyatt said some residents have needed help for days but the province has abandoned them.

Wyatt said he and Merrick got help for the residents from the North West Company, owner of Giant Tiger. The local Giant Tiger store provided three pairs of underwear and three pairs of socks for 134 children without charge.

Merrick said a local laundromat, Spike’s Laundry Service, is allowing the residents to do their laundry on credit while a third party covers the cost. The Salvation Army and Calvary Temple are providing hot meals. Volunteers from Abundant Life Baptist church have helped in the cleanup. Area schools have donated clothing.

Some residents are angry with what they called an slow and inadequate response from the provincial government.

While a provincial spokesman said the residents are eligible for financial assistance for basic essentials, the residents said their requests for financial help had been flatly refused by their workers.

The residents are on income assistance and say they have no money to buy replacement items.

"I didn’t have very much to begin with and to have to throw half of it away is not easy and then to be told that if we don’t have insurance, we’re on our own… " said Sherry Stenson, a single mother with two children aged 6 and 4. "I had to throw away all our clothing that we kept in the basement, all our sentimental items."

"I haven’t had hot water since Sunday," Roberta Jessamine, 39, said. "Manitoba Housing said they would sanitize the basement but we’re responsible for getting everything out first."

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca