*This week is National Volunteer Week, a time for the Canadian Red Cross to recognize our dedicated volunteers who donate their time and talents from coast to coast . Over the course of the week we will use this blog to share stories about our volunteers and the amazing work they do --a small sample of the outstanding individuals across the country.
Ariel view of flooding in Maple Creek, SK.
At this time of year Red Crossers reflect on the many volunteers that fill our ranks and make it possible to continue helping people across Canada, day after day, year after year. Take Saskatchewan. Last year many parts of that province were hammered with wide-spread flooding, as well as a tornado and forest fires.
Canadian Red Cross staff and volunteers went to work right away and helped more than 2,100 adults and 775 children recover the basic necessities of life. But what does that really mean? What was it like on the ground? It’s important to share stories from volunteers to truly appreciate what they do. Christine Hoffman is a Disaster Response Volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan. She’s a veteran Red Crosser with about 16 years under her belt. Still nothing could have prepared her for the call she took in the Recovery Centre last year in response to flooding in Maple Creek. This story is best told in her own words. This is what she had to say:
"I will never forget the first phone call I took in the Recovery Centre. A young man called asking what services Red Cross was offering in town. As we were talking he told me he had a rope in his backyard that he was going to make into a swing but thought he would be using it for other reasons. My heart stopped. I told him to come see us so we could work together on a plan to improve his situation. He came into the Recovery Centre a little while later, a very tall, strong, man, hunched over with little to no emotion. Nearly two hours later he left standing straight up with tear-filled eyes. He thanked me for convincing him to come in. His home had been destroyed, but together we put together a plan and he was eventually able to move back into his own home. To me, this is what the Red Cross is about, empowering people to get their lives back on track." –Christine Hoffman, Disaster Response Volunteer
During National Volunteer Week 2011, let’s thank Christine, and the many other volunteers like her that make time in their busy lives to help others live theirs. Thanks for making us proud!