Red Cross Talks (Page 34)

With winter at our doorstep, are you among many people who are feeling low on enthusiasm and energy? If so, you may be suffering from seasonal depression. Here are some tips to keep your spirits up during these difficult times.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, newcomer families to Canada were among those hit particularly hard. Regularly accessed community programs shut down, and the sense of isolation grew as spring turned to summer.
 

Seniors, who are among those at greatest risk of severe illness due to COVID-19, have found many of their facilities closed and programs cancelled during the pandemic. After 108 days in self-isolation, 75-year-old James Burgess decided to take action and assist his community on the south shore of Montréal by applying for a grant from the Canadian Red Cross.

At the beginning of last summer, Josh Windsor was a computer drafting student; by the fall, he had completely changed his career direction and was starting his first semester working towards a degree in Emergency Management. 
 

When Bavleen Kaur moved to Winnipeg from India, she wanted to volunteer in her new community. Her attention was captured by the Canadian Red Cross SmartStart program, which teaches injury prevention to newcomers to Canada. She ended up applying her newfound safety skills almost immediately.

Imagine moving to a new country during a global pandemic. Already feeling the isolating effects of unfamiliar surroundings, you’re now faced with the challenge of making a new life for yourself and your family during a widespread lockdown. 

Nobody can say with certainty what will happen on October 31 this year, but the pandemic will alter some traditional merriment, especially trick-or-treating. Will we be able to celebrate the day, which kids are so eagerly awaiting, while still keeping them and others safe? What we do know is that Halloween will look a little different this year. Since it falls during the weekend, instead of having to hurriedly mark the occasion after school on a weeknight, we can take the time to celebrate all day long.

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers in conflict zones work under challenges most of us can’t imagine; treating frequent injuries from bombs and bullets, dealing with disrupted supply lines, and managing hospitals and clinics that are damaged or even under attack.
Now imagine adding COVID-19 into that mix.
Red Cross Talks reached out to Hossam Elsharkawi to discuss the additional threat that the global pandemic poses to those who live and work in areas of conflict.