The 2013 floods may seem like history to some, but for many High River residents, their uninhabitable homes serve as a daily reminder. The Habitat for Humanity ReNewal teams have been working tirelessly over the past 18 months to help these families get back into their homes.
The ReNewal Program launched shortly after the flood to assist families with home repairs and ReNewal teams have worked in flood-affected communities across Calgary, High River, Bragg Creek and Exshaw. They’ve worked all scopes of projects, from minor basement repairs to complete reconstruction, and have served nearly 30 families in need.
Brian’s family is one of those families. His home in High River was flooded by 10 feet of water and covered in thick mud and silt. He pumped water out for a week before he was forced to gut his entire house. He lost everything and was left with the one set of clothes he was wearing the day of the flood.
The entire experience was devastating for Brian and his family and he was running out of funds to complete his home repairs. He was working hard to complete as much as he could on his own when he was contacted by the ReNewal teams to see if he needed help.
Brian didn’t want to take a handout – he felt solely responsible for his own home – but by that point he felt like giving up. ReNewal offered him a glimmer of hope and a promise of help and it was something he couldn’t refuse.
Nearly 200 volunteers have worked alongside our ReNewal teams to assist families like Brian’s who have affected by the floods, giving more than 4,000 hours of volunteer labour.
“If it wasn’t for the volunteers who helped in High River, it would’ve become a ghost town,” Brian said. “My house would’ve been empty without Habitat.”
Brian and his family are back into their home and he says the experience has made him stronger and more resilient than ever, but there are still more families in desperate need of help. You can make a difference in the lives of these families today: renewal@habitatsouthernab.ca.