*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.
Sandra and Roy Fisher are Canadian Red Cross volunteers in Clarenville, NL
When Sandra Fisher signed up to volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross in Clarenville, Newfoundland with her husband Roy three years ago, she never expected to form a friendship with another volunteer from half a world away.
But the Red Cross, with its 186 societies around the world, has a way of connecting people with one another, in times of disaster and conflict, even sometimes in ways you would never expect. And so when in late August, Sandra received an email asking if she’d be willing to meet with a Red Cross volunteer from Germany named Kurt who was being treated at the ICU at the Clarenville hospital, she never gave it a second thought.
It was only natural to offer her friendship and some company to the man, who had been hurt in a car accident while travelling on the eastern coast of Newfoundland. Other than his wife who was accompanying him, he was visiting the province as a tourist and didn’t have any family or friends nearby to offer support while he recovered from his injuries.
Over a two-week period, Sandra and her husband made almost daily trips to the hospital to visit Kurt. They brought him the local newspaper, freshly picked berries and shared stories of travel and life. Kurt was eventually able to fly back home to Germany but has kept in touch with Sandra and Roy, even sending them a tin of biscuits for Christmas as a thank you for their kindness.
Not long after, Sandra got another call from the Red Cross. This time, it was to assist people in her community affected by Hurricane Igor as a disaster response volunteer. Regardless of the circumstances, Sandra is happy to lend a hand.
If you want to get involved as a volunteer, contact your local Red Cross office. There are many opportunities to help out in your community, and as Sandra discovered, make new friends along the way.