Red Cross provides warmth to families left out in the cold

It is something that no one would ever wish for: losing your home, and all your personal items and memories to a house fire. Within moments, the life you have known literally becoming smoke and ashes.

This personal tragedy is even tougher this time of year, not only because it’s chilly outside, but because it’s supposed to be a time of celebration with family and friends.

This past week, Red Cross responded to a fire at York University, in Toronto, which left thousands of students living in residence out in the cold. In Niagara Region, volunteers assisted following an apartment fire , which left over 100 residents without a place to go. Out east, with temperatures dropping, the Red Cross has been busy responding to several house fires across Atlantic Canada.

This isn’t a rare service. Every year, Canadian Red Cross volunteers, through the Personal Disaster Assistance program, respond to thousands of house fires, and other disasters such as floods, across Canada. When a fire happens, Red Cross volunteers go to the scene to help by providing warm blankets, small toys to comfort any children, and hygiene kits, to name a few. Based on the assessments, the program also provides shelter, food, clothing, personal hygiene items and emotional support for up to 72 hours, if needed, while families figure out what to do next.  

Regardless of how cold, snowy and icy it is outside, our trained and dedicated volunteers are on-call 24-hours, 7 days-a-week. They truly are unsung heroes!  If you volunteer, thanks to you for the great work you do.

Interested in getting involved? Click here.

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