*Guest blog by Conrad Sauvé, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Red Cross
This week in Canada, we celebrate National Volunteer Week; an opportunity for the Canadian Red Cross to acknowledge and thank the thousands of volunteers who give freely of their time and energy to help others and support our mission.
When I travel the country I am consistently humbled and proud of the depth and breadth of the work carried out by volunteers. Volunteers are often the face of the Red Cross, providing support and expertise to our six areas of excellence. Volunteers serve clients and communities and bring understanding of the value of diversity, compassion, local connections, adaptability and accountability. Thousands of volunteers each year willingly put themselves in harms way to respond to disasters; and they use their skills, experience and knowledge to deliver and improve services, raise money and govern the Canadian Red Cross.
Recent research by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies shows that 2 in every 1000 people around the world volunteer for the Red Cross Movement – representing over 13 million people. Although these statistics are no surprise to Canadian Red Cross given our vast network of volunteers across Canada, they do serve as a reminder of the critical impact volunteers have to the work of the Canadian Red Cross and the Red Cross Movement.
Canadian Red Cross volunteers and staff work side by side to serve Canadians. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that it is this partnership that truly strengthens our capacity; defines our mission of Mobilizing the Power of Humanity; and represents our vision of One Red Cross.
My sincerest thanks to all our volunteers who make possible the work of the Canadian Red Cross.
Sincerely.