When Clinton resident Shanelle Adolph heard the news about the wildfires in Lytton, she wanted to help.
She pulled together a garbage bag full of clothes and shoes. And then put out an appeal on Facebook to see if anyone else wanted to join in. Within two hours, she had no more room in her truck.
“The next thing I knew my whole yard was full,” Adoph, 34, said. “We collected a bunch of blankets, towels, baby diapers … there was a cry out for everything. They didn’t even have shoes. The night before they had to evacuate and couldn’t take anything. They had no warning. I was watching some of the videos and I started to tear up.”
Adolph took the donations to a shelter in Lillooet, which she said was overwhelmed with clothing food and other items from people wanting to give to Lytton residents who were evacuated or displaced. Adolph said she remembers the stress she felt during the 2017 wildfires when Clinton was evacuated.
“I’m from Lillooet myself so Lytton is hitting pretty close to home,” she said. “I’d like to help any way I could.”
Adolph is among people like Barb and Bill Mansell, of Williams Lake, who picked up donations all the way to Lillooet to help those in need. The couple stopped at Pam’s Food Services in Lac La Hache, which put out a call for donations for evacuees from Lytton and Pavilion and anyone one “evacuated or displaced or have lost everything from the Lytton fires.”
Proprietor Pam King said one woman brought dozens of eggs, while others brought food. Others donated a child’s bicycle, activity things for kids and pet carriers. She has it all stacked in her car, waiting for pick up.
Adolph, who has lived in Clinton for about seven years, said she was heartened by the response. “It’s a great little community.”
kelly.sinoski@100milefreepress.net
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