Red Cross Talks (Page 28)

A dedicated emergency management volunteer, a passionate water safety instructor trainer and a loyal educator have received the highest award given by the Canadian Red Cross. The three Alberta volunteers were given the Order of Red Cross, which recognizes extraordinary people who have provided outstanding humanitarian service at home and abroad.

“I have learned that I am very capable of doing anything that I put my mind to,” says Dr Denisse Borbor following her shift at a long-term care home in Quebec.
The international medical graduate is currently a public health care advisor for the Canadian Red Cross, leading epidemic, prevention and control teams on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.

Since 2012, the Government of Canada has provided funding to a Canadian Red Cross project to support the Mali Red Cross and Mali Ministry of Health in delivering health services to rural communities, with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health. These services are sorely needed as, according to the latest estimates, Mali has some of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.

Lok Maya Thapa is the focal person for the Comprehensive Community-Based Health Program in the Khotang District for the Nepal Red Cross Society, she recently shared with us her experiences working during COVID-19.

The health needs in Honduras following Hurricanes Eta and Iota are vast, but it’s not just the physical health needs that we are seeing on the ground. As a country that has been dealing with impacts of economic instability, violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and now, the aftermath of two destructive hurricanes, the mental health needs in Honduras are immense and cannot be ignored.

More people have been heading into the wilderness to keep themselves active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and that hasn’t slowed since winter began. While a day on snowshoes or skis is a great way to fend off cabin fever, it does come with some risks. Here are some tips for planning and packing for a safe winter excursion.

It was a time of both great joy and profound sadness.
For several weeks, Kara Schiestel worked as an Emergency Care Support Aide with the Canadian Red Cross amid the battle against the spread of COVID-19 in a long-term care home in Manitoba.

Could a simple phone call be the cure for loneliness? Loneliness is of course a complex state of being, but many isolated Canadians are finding reprieve from the often overwhelming feeling through friendly phone calls. Although one phone call may not offer a cure, participants in the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Call Program are finding it does open the door to conversation, friendship, and mutual respect.