Samaritan’s Purse supporting St. Catharines residents with flood cleanup

Volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse Canada have mobilized in St. Catharines as the City continues to work with the community and our government partners to support residents through ongoing flood recovery efforts.

Samaritan’s Purse deployed one of its disaster relief units – a tractor-trailer filled with relief equipment – in Niagara earlier this month, to support families in St. Catharines and the Town of Lincoln after the extreme weather and heavy rainfall on July 21, 27-28 and August 2. Their disaster relief unit is stationed in Jordan at New Hope Church Niagara West.

This week volunteer teams from Samaritan’s Purse started assisting local residents in the cleanup effort, making them safe and ready for repair at no cost to homeowners. In addition to cleaning up any remaining debris and flood-damaged items, including tearing out damaged drywall, they help spray areas to prevent mold growth. The City has been providing eligible residents on its Vulnerable Assistance Registry with Team Rubicon Canada, deployed by Ontario Corps, and will also be working with Samaritan’s Purse to work through the list and ensure those who are on it are offered supports, if still required.

The process is as follows:

•      City staff work through the Vulnerable Assistance Registry, reviewing requests and contacting homeowners to discuss their situation.
• Based on the household’s circumstances, available support and resources, those information on those in need will be provided to Samaritan’s Purse for further assessment.
• A trained team from Samaritan’s Purse will evaluate the property and identify the safest next steps.
• If assistance can be provided, the team will support the reclamation process from assessment through cleanup at no cost to the homeowner.

Residents who are still requiring cleanup support and removal of waster and waste from their homes can register on the list online at stcatharines.ca/floods. City officials are not able to provide any specific timelines – assistance is prioritized for households with the greatest need.

Samaritan’s Purse is working with other support agencies, including Mennonite Disaster Service and Christian Aid Ministries on the recovery efforts. Those who are receiving support from Samaritan’s Purse can consider their partners are credible sources.

People can identify Samaritan’s Purse volunteers by the distinctive orange shirts they wear, while volunteers from Mennonite Disaster Service also have branded shirts featuring the organization name and logo, making them easily identifiable Organizations will prearrange appointments with residents for site visits and to complete work, will not show up unannounced and will never ask for money or donations.

Volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse Canada is welcoming volunteers to assist them in their efforts. All volunteers are welcome. No previous disaster-recovery experience is required to help, and nobody will be turned away who wants to volunteer. Volunteers can sign up through the organizations’ online webform.

Scams

Residents urged to be mindful of scams and unlicensed contractors. Following disasters, fraudulent operators may target homeowners experiencing hardship. Residents should verify credentials, obtain multiple quotes where possible, avoid pressure tactics, and work directly with their insurance company for remediation.

Residents seeking information about flood recovery supports, available resources, and the Vulnerable Resident Assistance Registry are encouraged to visit the City's dedicated flooding response webpage.