Ewa Olguin (left) receiving supplies from a member of the Salvation Army.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Salvation Army Kamloops

An assistant teacher in Merritt is still in disbelief over the overwhelming amount of kindness and support she received in Kamloops last month, and she and her family continue to pay it forward. 

Ewa Olguin was evacuated along with the rest of her community in the middle of November due to the extreme flooding event. Olguin and her family were put up at the Thompson Hotel and Conference Centre.

READ MORE: Merritt flood evacuees begin arriving in Kamloops

The Strong Start coordinator discovered many of her students from Diamond Vale Elementary School were at the same hotel. A small idea to help keep the evacuated children stay occupied quickly grew into something much more.

“I turned around in the hotel hallway and there was a student of mine,” she said. “I discovered eight students and their families there, and they were scared. People were crying. I gathered the kids together and started a play group to support the parents and give the children a sense of normalcy.”

Olguin’s educational play group quickly expanded to include all the other children at the hotel, up to age 11, and the owners opened up a free conference room for them. She ran the play group from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Olguin said what happened next was unbelievable.

The Salvation Army donated crafts, food and toys to students evacuated from Merritt.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Salvation Army Kamloops

“I went to emergency services where I went to a Salvation Army van and asked for snacks for the children,” Olguin said. “Later that day they showed up at the hotel with snacks and craft supplies. My boss from the Merritt school district showed up and took me to meet people at the Kamloops school district office who donated snacks and toys. Then the Salvation Army connected with United Way and they showed up with toys and gift cards for the moms.”

Olguin said other people showed up with cookies and gifts and donations every day. The owner of the hotel hosted a bingo night and employees of the attached restaurant brought soup and scones over.

“A toy drive was organized by the hotel owners, Pav and Mike, and the Blazers donated a lot of toys," Olguin said. “It was like the entire community of Kamloops came together to support us. Sometimes people said such supportive words to me I would just cry.”

Olguin ran the group every day for three weeks until returning home to Merritt two weeks ago.

READ MORE: Arctic outflow, snow and possible freezing rain forecast for parts of B.C.

She said some of the helping connections and friendships she made during the hotel play group experience in Kamloops are still strong. The most urgent need right now is to support residents who lost their houses.

“Some residents are in hotels waiting until their houses are fixed,” she said. “Parts of Merritt look like a war zone. There are piles of furniture stacked outside everywhere, covered with snow.”

The school Olguin works at is one of a few in the district that are so damaged by flooding they won’t be opening next month. Olguin is going to take all she has learned and the connections she has made to help ensure programs are running for the students in the New Year.

“The schools will work together to find space to run programs,” she said. “I’m trying to find somewhere families can meet and learn and play together. We will make it through because we are together and we don’t give up, we fix it and go forward.”

Olguin has a husband and five children. She grew up in communist Poland where she said her life was very difficult, but her community was resilient.  She said she always had a teacher who made a difference in her life.

She is spending the holidays with her family making food for Merritt residents in need to help keep the kindness going. 

“We don’t have much money but we can cook and share,” she said. "Thank you to everyone for the help and support."

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