The Center d’Action Bénévole Trait d’Union de Shawinigan has launched the Escouade’O to ensure the distribution of drinking water to vulnerable residents of the municipality, where nearly 30,000 citizens have been subject to a boil water advisory for the near future. three months .
The first delivery was made Monday morning to Louise Gélinas, a resident of Shawinigan-Sud. She was delighted to receive her four water containers filled, while she is limited in her movements.
“It’s a real gift! It’s not a question of costs for me, but it’s a question of transporting it, it’s heavy, ”explained Ms. Gélinas.
The objective of the operation is to reach the elderly, isolated, with reduced mobility or suffering from a mental deficiency, for example. Each volunteer is matched by the center with one or more residents affected by the boil water advisory in Shawinigan who are in need.
Members of the Escouade’O will be able to fill empty containers at one of the City’s water distribution points, then deliver them to their homes.
“Not everyone has the physical capacity to do it,” said the director general of the Center d’Action Bénévole Trait d’Union, Mathieu Gélinas.
Jeannine Petit already takes fifteen people under her wing in the Shawinigan-Sud sector. Since she delivered meals from the Center d’Action Bénévole, she has noticed that many people are in need.
“It is a priority for them, they are not able to go out. We can bring four 4 liters to people and they are surely able to do the week, “said Ms. Petit.
The Director General hopes that the volunteers will soon offer their help to serve as many people as possible.
Help would be more than welcome in private residences for seniors, especially since the delivery of water by the City ended last Friday. At Résidence le Boisé Ensoleillée in Shawinigan, approximately 80 liters of water are needed in the kitchen every day. Already, it is necessary to reconcile pandemic, shortage of labor and undrinkable water.
“It would be wonderful because with the amount of water I would have to carry per day, honestly it’s help that is going to be much appreciated. Right now, I’m having trouble supplying,” said the owner, Julie Marchand of the residence.
An initiative that could help hundreds of residents in their daily lives, while waiting for the Lac-à-la-Pêche plant to be temporarily put into operation next summer.