The Canadian Red Cross estimates it received nearly $3 million in donations from the public and businesses in support of their appeal for Nova Scotia wildfires.

Spokesperson Dan Beddel says the funds raised have been earmarked broadly for “immediate and ongoing relief”, which he says enables them to distribute funds as needed.

Final calculations of the fundraising efforts won’t be known for some time as the appeal remains open.

The Red Cross will not see the matching contributions from the provincial and federal governments until later in the summer.

“The matching programs close on June 29th, so we won’t see those funds until after that, but it’s actually a good thing as we know there are a lot of people that are going to be in need of support throughout the summer and beyond,” Beddel said.

Beddel encourages anyone in need of support that has been impacted by the wildfires to reach out to the Red Cross.

“It is important to try and have an idea of what other types of support you may be eligible for…like government programs or insurance coverage,” Beddel explains. “We want to maximize the support we can offer so we don’t want to double up,  we encourage people to speak with their insurance provider and take a look at any government programs they might be eligible for so they can find the best program to support them.”

That shouldn’t stop you from calling the Red Cross as Beddel says their goal is to support those things falling threw the gaps of government programs and insurance.

“People are going to have needs that aren’t met by the other programs being offered so that’s what we want to be here for, to help in the myriad of ways people will need it in the coming months,”.