Red Cross Talks (Page 53)

Ann is one of our amazing volunteers in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She volunteers in the Emergency Management program helping her community in times of need and has assisted in public education through emergency preparedness presentations. In her own words, this is why she gives back.

Colourful mats line the floor, dolls sit in anticipation of being played with, building blocks stand at the ready, and puzzles lay piled waiting to be put together. These are rooms any child would want to play in – brightly painted Child Friendly Spaces, created by the Nepal Red Cross Society following the 2015 earthquake, with funding support from the Canadian Red Cross.

The James family were one of many households in Ottawa impacted by the Great Ice Storm of 1998.  They managed through the many chilly nights without power but realized they could have been more prepared. Debbie made the decision, when the time was right, to join the Canadian Red Cross. When learning how to be better prepared for disasters, she also trained to be a responder to help others. 
On September 21, 2018, when tornadoes tore through the Ottawa/Gatineau region, Debbie had volunteered with the Red Cross for 13 years. In that time, she had responded to over 100 individual emergencies and supported Canadians impacted by  large-scale disasters like the Alberta Floods and Fort McMurray Fires. 
 

When my youngest son, Kai, turned 2 years old I thought it was time to enroll him in swim classes. While checking the options available for him, I found the Red Cross Swim Preschool Program. It looked very exciting as they use animal mascots for each level of the program and integrate songs and activities into the lessons to make it fun and engaging for kids.

The Canadian Red Cross is committed to making sure that gender equality and social inclusion are an active part of our programs. Sometimes this means having to challenge assumptions about who can do what - such as heavy labour. Recently in Mozambique, the Red Cross purposefully sought out women labourers, read about their experiences.

The Taylor family had less than five minutes to evacuate their home when a train derailed near their community. In the rush, therapy cat Tigger slipped off his leash outside the evacuation centre and couldn't be found. Luckily, with Red Cross help, Tigger is back home with his family! 

At first glance, laying on an inflatable toy in shallow water seems pretty safe, after all, the water isn’t deep and there is a floating toy right there. Recently, a family’s trip to the beach in Nova Scotia proved to be a harrowing reminder of why this is not the case.

Jim and his wife always remind their friends how important it is to wear their lifejackets when they go out on the water.

A few years ago, they were out fishing in a Saskatchewan provincial park with another couple. Jim remembers asking his wife if she had caught a fish. That’s when he noticed that she appeared to be dozing off.