Red Cross helping Fort Mac evacuees return home
Red Cross helps four families so far wih allowances
The Canadian Red Cross in Windsor, Ont. is starting to assist Fort McMurray, Alta. residents who want to go back home.
Several ex-Windsorites fled last month when the devastating fires forced the evacuation of the city.
In Windsor, thousands of dollars have been donated and four Red Cross volunteers have gone to Fort McMurray to help with disaster relief.
Amy Hrovat, her husband Lee and their two young children have been staying with her parents in Windsor since the disaster forced them from their home.
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She said their family's house is fine but others she knows are not so lucky.
"I just know a lot of people that I work with have lost their houses and they're devastated," said Hrovat, who has been teaching in Fort McMurray for six years.
Hrovat said the Red Cross is paying for Lee to fly to Edmonton where he will then recover their truck and drive to Fort McMurray to recover some items.
They haven't decided when they want ot return to Alberta. Hrovat said they'll make that call after Lee gets back to Windsor with the truck.
At the very least, they want to know the hospital will be open in case their young children need it.
Travel allowance
Four families, have come in to the Red Cross to apply for financial assistance to cover the costs of transportation, lodging and food for the trip home
"We can assist them with the flight going back...directly through our travel agent." said Donna Girard, the disaster management advisor for the Red Cross.
"If they're choosing to drive back, we have an allowance that we can give them in order to drive to get them back with some hotels along the route and some meals. Everything they would need to get back home safely," she said.
Girard said the amount of assistance everyone gets is based on need, for most people that means a travel allowance of 37-cents per kilometre.