Being prepared can make a tremendous difference in an emergency. A Medical Emergency Information tag is a simple yet effective tool. It enables emergency professionals to make quick, informed decisions—which can help save lives. 

In Jamaica, Cuba, and across the central Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa’s torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides, threatening lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure, such as schools and health centres.

In the small town of Kiskőrös in southern Hungary, about 120 kilometres south of Budapest, Lana and her eight-year-old daughter Anastasia, who lives with Down syndrome, found a new sense of belonging after fleeing their home in Kharkiv due to the violence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Growing up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, I learned the value of hard work at an early age. The youngest of four children in a small tight-knit community of less than 500 people, I saw firsthand the importance of forging your own path and standing up for what you believe and for others.

We had returned to our home in Gaza City by what felt like a miracle. We tried to rebuild; not stability, because conflict doesn’t allow for that, but maybe rhythm, maybe something close to breathing without fear. Then came the sirens. Then the decision. Then we prepared our bags. Again. 

I will always remember the person who welcomed me on my first day at the Red Cross. Newly arrived in Canada (I had only been here for four months), I was invited to work during the 2017 floods response in Quebec. I didn’t even have a driver’s licence and was worried that they would ask me to go to regional offices. 

As a young child, I vividly remember driving from our home in Sudbury to Toronto, Ontario the morning after Hurricane Hazel hit. As we passed through this devastated area, I saw the Red Cross helping people, and in this moment, I witnessed the power of compassion in action.

Climate change is no longer a distant concern—it’s already hitting certain regions hard, permanently altering the living conditions of their residents. This is especially true in the Magdalen Islands, where environmental upheaval is being felt with growing intensity.