*Guest blog by Colleen Lowe, Senior Communications Advisor, Ontario
** Photos by Johan Hallberg-Campbell
The world has changed in many ways over the past 50 years, as Sally St. Lewis will tell you. Her experiences as a volunteer with the Red Cross have allowed her to witness many of those changes first hand. To honour her 50 years of dedication, Sally awarded the Order of the Red Cross, Member Level, in Ottawa yesterday.
As a student nurse in England, Sally had her first experience with the Red Cross and wanting to volunteer. “The thing about the Red Cross is they never say no to someone who offers help. They just say, ‘How much time do you have?’” she said.
Sally’s first responsibilities as a volunteer were addressing envelopes by hand and sealing them with a lick, tasks now being done by computers and machines.
Wherever she has lived, Sally has been involved with her local Red Cross. For the past 21 years, she has been an active disaster management volunteer with the Ottawa branch, participated with the First Aid Service Team and been involved in leadership roles at the branch, regional and zone levels, serving as President of the Eastern Region Zone Council from 2003 to 2006.
Sally has deployed internationally to Tanzania, Serbia and the U.S. She has also responded to disasters here at home, including the 1998 ice storm, floods, and house and forest fires.
The Order of the Red Cross recognizes outstanding humanitarian service, dedication and achievement on behalf of the Society and the world. Sally joins a small group of special volunteers who have received this honour. In the past 101 years, it has only been awarded 230 times.