Flood victims need money, gift card donations, says West Island group

Anyone looking to donate to people struggling through spring flooding should consider contributing money or gift cards, says the charity group West Island Community Shares.

Executive director Sophie McCann said people need what will help them right away, and while the group is open to all contributions, food or other more traditional donations don't really work for the people affected.

"In a time of crisis ... it is a lot easier to give gift cards and to give money. And that way people can have access to what they actually need," McCann said.

West Island Community Shares is an umbrella organization which supports 40 charities in Montreal's West Island.

It has been working as part of a flooding task force with Pierrefonds-Roxboro ahead of the flooding which started last week.

McCann said this year's flood response has benefited from a lot more planning than the one in 2017.

"Two years ago, there were a lot of people doing a lot of different things, but it was not co-ordinated," she said.

Now, if someone calls her to donate furniture or money, she knows who to direct them to.

There is also more coordination between different volunteer groups than there had been in 2017, she said.