Struggling B.C. flood victims claim Red Cross has cut financial supports

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -

In a matter of moments, decades of memories and belongings were wiped out inside the home of Anastasia Schell.

She and her family were among the thousands of Sumas Prairie residents forced to evacuated their homes during last year's catastrophic floods.

“We lost 35 years together with my husband. Everything from family photos, videos, wedding photos,” Schell said.

Schell says she and her family were bounced around low-end hotels for months before the Red Cross stepped up with legitimate assistance.

She claims the organization said they would provide $1,300 per month for rent for half a year, and another $600 for basic needs.

"I remember sitting there crying because I was so overwhelmed that they were going to do that for us,”

That relief however, didn’t last long.

Schell says after around two months, the Red Cross pulled the plug on financial supports.

"I got a phone call from my caseworker, and he went through the information to verify everything. Then he said, 'Well just to let you know we're not helping anymore,'" Schell recalled.

"It's not fun, it's not easy, it's not fair," she said.

She says there are plenty of others out there going through the same thing.

One of those people is Mary Dyck, who says she was assured of having half of the rent paid for six months, but the support only lasted half of that time.

“It's happening to a lot of families, there's several of us that are in the same boat," Dyck said.

After media attention and inquiries on these claims, the Red Cross sent a statement to CTV News.

“The Red Cross has followed up to ensure people affected by the flooding understand and have access to the supports that are available," it read.

After she spoke to CTV News, Schell says the relief organization called her to apologize for what’s happened, and told they will call back Tuesday to work to restore funding for everyone.