MONTREAL – Of all the logistical challenges in helping Haiti, this might be the most surprising one: the need for winter clothes.
Evacuees are arriving back in Canada, and they’re not dressed for the cold climate. A Montreal community organization is now putting out an urgent appeal for warm clothing.
The Sun Youth Organization is clothing people at Montreal’s airport, and says it expects to run out of coats and boots within 10 days.
Sun Youth is not asking individuals for donations. Rather, they are seeking handouts from companies. They’re asking companies to donate anything they can spare for adults and children.
Many people have been arriving on military flights wearing shorts and sandals.
In many cases, even Canadians accustomed to winter are lacking warm clothes at the airport, because they were forced to flee Haiti in a hurry.
“We’re asking for winter coats and boots,” said Tommy Kulczyk, director of emergency services for Sun Youth.
“They’re expecting about 6,000 people here and they need things right away when they land for the first hours.”
“Winter coats, boots, hats, gloves, sweat suits, sweat pants, socks,” Kulczyk said.
Sun Youth has been helping evacuees, whether they’re staying for a while in Montreal or are just in transit.
The organization has set up camp in a hotel near the airport, doling out supplies as each busload of evacuees comes in.
Most are arriving ill-equipped to deal with the bone-chilling winter weather and are arriving with little more than the clothes on their back.
Melonie Christie, 24, from Ontario, described being whisked hastily onto the plane in Haiti.
“We weren’t allowed to bring our luggage with us,” she said.
“I was wearing my shorts, runners and a tank top so they got us a hat and scarf and coats.”
Christie said the assistance provided has been excellent as she waited to be ferried to a local mall to buy some clothes.
“We were really well taken care of,” she said.
