By Alana Yip, Canadian Red Cross Digital Volunteer
They say it takes a village, and for Chris and Emilie, who share 20 years of marriage, they firmly believe in being a part of that village and giving back whenever they have the chance.
“It means being closer to our local community and learning about the different challenges people face when they are displaced due to a disaster and how we can support them”, they shared. The community they are a part of is in the Richmond and Tsawwassen area of British Columbia.
Chris and Emilie volunteer together with the Canadian Red Cross and when they received the invite to join the Walmart Campaign as Ambassadors, they jumped at the opportunity to contribute.
For 20 years, Walmart Canada has provided support and partnership to the Canadian Red Cross, raising over $60 million since 2003, and more recently, over 4 million in the 2023 in-store campaign. This astounding support is vital in assisting the Canadian Red Cross with emergency relief and recovery programming as well as community preparedness across Canada.
Outside of the Walmart Campaign, Chris and Emilie are on the Personal Disaster Assistance Team and Emergency Response Team. “We want to live in a world where we help and support one another… Being able to be there for people, to listen to their story, and help them when they need it the most means a lot to us.”
Every 3 hours, on average, the Canadian Red Cross responds to someone in need and the past year has been no exception, bringing many emergency events to Canadian citizens, on both sides of the country. From Hurricane Fiona, the most powerful storm to ever strike Canada, leaving destruction, flooding and damage to homes across the Atlantic, to record high temperatures and the ongoing wildfires in British Columbia, Canadians can’t predict what will come next. Thanks to gracious volunteers like Chris and Emilie, and the continued support from donors, both corporate and individual, the Canadian Red Cross can assist communities who are in need coast to coast.
But it cannot be done without you! Giving back to the communities across Canada is a reminder that they are here for you, just as you are here for them, and we can help build stronger communities, together.
If, like Chris and Emilie, you’d like to donate your time, they have some great advice for starting out, “Take your time figuring out the best role for you and be patient during the on-boarding process. We’re very appreciative of everything the Red Cross did to train us for the roles we have.”
There are many ways in which you can get involved with the Canadian Red Cross, as both a
volunteer and/or a donor. You can assist in your local community, or volunteer on a larger level nationally.
Donations can be made to the Canadian Red Cross as a whole, or to individual programs that assist millions globally.
“We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to be in a position where we can dedicate our time to assisting others, and we are determined to seize this opportunity wholeheartedly.”
Thank you to both Chris and Emilie for their ongoing care and to Walmart Canada, their managers, associates and customers for their tremendous support.