It’s fair to say our team of Red Cross disaster volunteers in Quebec is having a busy summer. Some 75 volunteers are working in shifts daily to provide support in Lac-Mégantic where a train derailment caused devastation and great loss in the community.
The Canadian Red Cross has been on the ground ever since the disaster struck to help meet the emergency needs of people impacted by it, to provide comfort, provide registration and assess the needs of families and distribute items.
Volunteers support Lac-Mégantic response in QuebecOne of these dedicated volunteers is Denis Desilets who even went so far as to cut short his vacation to volunteer in Lac-Mégantic. He shares more about his experience in this profile published in the Toronto Star.
Other volunteers have come from the private sector, as part of the Ready When the Time Comes partnership with the Canadian Red Cross to help bolster our ranks in times of need. Staff or retired staff from Bombardier, Ackland Grainger, STM and Hydro-Quebec have been supporting Red Cross efforts by working in our call centre, and helping collect donations at various locations.
You can support these efforts by donating to the Lac-Mégantic fund online or by phone at 1-800-418-1111.
Despite the large-scale response in Lac-Mégantic, volunteers across the province continue to provide assistance to families displaced as a result of residential fires. They also assisted hundreds evacuated by forest fires in Eastmain, in Northern Quebec in June and more than a dozen volunteers have been working in Alberta to offer assistance to residents affected by flooding last month.
Volunteer assist families evacuated from Eastmain in Northern Quebec in June. Photo credit: Gérald Vaillancourt
Volunteers from Quebec assist in flood response in High River, AlbertaKudos to the team!