Thanks to thousands of volunteers and staff, generous donors, dedicated partners and local, provincial, territorial and federal governments, the Canadian Red Cross is able to reach out and support the most vulnerable in this country and around the world.
As the frequency and intensity of emergencies, disasters and disruptive events increases in Canada and internationally, the Red Cross remains committed to addressing each new challenge as it arises. This is our new normal, and the Red Cross is there to help people when they need it the most.
Last year in Canada, we assisted more than 57,000 people as their communities experienced extensive flooding, wildfires, ice storms and other disruptive events. Once emergencies are over, for many that are affected, the long process of recovery begins. Last year, we continued to help people recover at their own readiness in 10 different recovery operations across the country. Our collaboration with Indigenous people in Canada also continues to be a top priority as their communities are often most affected by an increasing number of disasters and emergencies.
At Red Cross, we are making significant ongoing investments in new ways of working, including technology, to gain insight and better provide more efficient, effective and dignified services to appropriately reach and support people in need.
Internationally, the Canadian Red Cross delivered assistance in Indonesia following the earthquakes and a tsunami, to Mozambique following the tropical cyclone that devastated coastal areas, for an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for flash floods in Afghanistan, and ongoing migration to Bangladesh by people fleeing violence in Myanmar. More than 100 Canadian doctors, nurses, technicians, and other teams of specialists deployed with our emergency field hospital and clinics.
At the same time, we continue to work with sister National Societies around the world to exchange knowledge and help strengthen their capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters.
More than 1.2 million Canadians attended swimming and water safety courses and over 550,00 people learned essential first aid skills. We also loaned more than 290,000 wheelchairs and other types of medical equipment to vulnerable people with health issues.
Creating new and innovative solutions is a growing and important part of our work. In early 2019, a flood protection door-to-door pilot program developed in partnership with the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo, was launched in three Canadian communities. The pilot will help determine how one-on-one conversations with Red Cross volunteers can increase flood risk awareness and prevention. In addition, recognizing that increasing isolation can create vulnerabilities amongst a growing population of seniors, Red Cross is working with partners such as McMaster University and others to pilot new, innovative services with community volunteers who connect directly with seniors to better understand their needs and help them navigate the health system. These pilots are also examining the benefits of volunteering in keeping people active and healthy.
I truly appreciate the efforts of everyone who has contributed time, talent or resources to help make the Canadian Red Cross a respected, trusted, agile and essential organization. Thank you for your support and dedication.
Sincerely,
Conrad Sauvé
President and CEO
Canadian Red Cross
Annual Report 2018-2019