Volunteering (Page 12)

Volunteering is a part of life for the Jacobs family. Garry Jacobs has volunteered with the Canadian Red Cross in Red Deer, Alberta for 30 years – along with his wife Sandy and now his daughter Jodyne (who volunteers in Strathmore, Alberta). In February, Garry was awarded the highest volunteer honour from the Canadian Red Cross – the Order of Red Cross, for his incredible contributions to the movement.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Kara Shiestel’s role quickly changed from being a responder to a recipient of care from the Red Cross after arriving in Trenton, Ontario for a period in quarantine. Being on the receiving end of Red Cross support, after training as a volunteer, helped Kara deal with the situation for herself and others.

A couple of years ago, Gwen Schick retired. She discovered that she missed meeting people in the course of her travels for work. So, Gwen started volunteering as a Friendly Phone volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan.
The Friendly Phone program pairs volunteers with seniors who feel they could benefit from weekly phone calls. That’s it. 

Normally, when someone loses everything they own in an apartment fire, the Canadian Red Cross Personal Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) arrives on the scene with blankets and teddy bears to offer warmth and comfort. That’s how it worked before COVID-19.

For International Women’s Day, we’re taking another look at some of the amazing work being done by our staff, volunteers and delegates – it’s inspiring work, by women, for women, and for their communities.

For International Women’s Day (March 8), we’re sharing inspiring stories of women who work with us to help others. Hear from these amazing volunteers and their awe-inspiring experiences, in their own words. 

One member of the Far East Welfare Team was Jacqueline Van Campen, now a resident of Victoria, BC.  She was recruited by the Canadian Red Cross in 1953 when she was working on her Master of Social Work at Laval University. She spent a year in Japan and three months in Korea near the front, where she worked in various Maple Leaf Clubs. 

On January 8, a plane carrying 176 people, including 57 Canadians, crashed outside of Tehran, Iran. The loss of life is enormous, and the impact has been felt deeply by communities across the country. Among the deceased was Canadian Red Cross volunteer Mohammad Asadi Lari. Mohammad was passionate about making the world a better place, which was evident in all the incredible contributions he made to the Canadian Red Cross.