Canadian Red Cross Volunteers Assist in Hurricane Relief in US
Between August and October 2004, over 100 Canadian Red Cross volunteers took on three week assignments assisting American Red Cross in their biggest-ever disaster relief operation.
Four hurricanes resulted in an unprecedented need for volunteers to assist residents of Florida, Alabama, Georgia and other states with shelter, food, family reunification and additional basic needs.Among their assignments, Canadian volunteers worked in shelters with people whose homes had been destroyed or service centres where food and water could be picked up by people who homes were still habitable but the power was out. Some volunteers drove in trucks with American Red Cross relief workers distributing provisions throughout affected neighbourhoods. In total, over 11 million meals and snacks were served and 33,000 workers supported the operations.
Canadian Red Cross from coast to coast spoke of the challenges in working with residents stressed by repeated evacuations and devastation,working in hardship areas, being transferred from one relief operation to another and there not being regular meals or sleeping accommodations. But they also spoke of the positive benefits of being able to make a difference in people’s lives.
When one Canadian who worked in the US was asked why he and his wife started volunteering, he replied, “I really believe that you should support your community, whether it is feeding a hungry child or helping the victims of a flood. We just want to give something back.”
