Tulle, glitter and giving back: Finding unique ways to help people in Fort McMurray
Some business owners in Corner Brook are looking for ways to give back to those who lost everything
People in Corner Brook are going beyond their Red Cross donations to give back to those who lost everything in the Fort McMurray wildfire.
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One restaurant owner is offering a full-time job; a hair stylist is collecting prom dresses for students; and one professional photographer is offering to replace wedding albums lost in the blaze.
Fort Mac is another Newfoundland town to me.- Lisa Byrne
Hair stylist Lisa Byrne has collected hundreds of puffy prom dresses since she put the call out on social media on Saturday.
"It's really nice to be able to give back. It's very overwhelming," said Byrne.
"I think people here know somebody from Fort McMurray affected by the fires. Fort Mac is another Newfoundland town to me."
Byrne needed to cut down on the volume of dresses collected, so she started vacuum sealing the dresses after receiving hundreds more than she expected.
Now she has has to find a way to ship them to a prom organizing committee in Alberta by next Monday.
Job offer with extra bonuses
Meanwhile, the owner of a popular tapas restaurant needs another cook in her kitchen and decided to post an ad online requesting applications from people who lost everything in the Fort McMurray wildfire.
Donna Thistle's ad offers a full-time job, a free flight home and one month's rent.
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She doesn't want to see anyone who lost their livelihoods out on the street, and said she will do whatever she can to help.
"I think we all care about people who are in need. There are some who are more disadvantaged than others," she said.
"We all eat and most of us have a roof over our heads, and most of us can and will help where we can."
The job offer was still open on Monday.
Replacing prized possessions
One professional photographer on the west coast has a hard drive jammed with wedding pictures from years of shooting.
Scott Grant posted on Facebook, offering to replace any of his former clients' photos lost in the Fort McMurray fire — free of charge.
The post had received more than 3,000 shares by May 10.
Grant received several calls from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who got married on the west coast who are looking to replace their lost photographs.