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Laura Enekegho is a fourth year PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta. When she isn’t in a laboratory, classroom, or volunteering on campus, you will find her at the Canadian Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP) depot in Edmonton as a client services volunteer. 

Hello, fellow furballs! I’m Coco, your wise and witty feline guide. Thunderstorms can be a real cat-astrophe, but don’t worry—I’m here to share some purr-fect tips to keep you and your humans safe. So, let’s get ready for those loud and flashy storms together! 

When it comes to disasters and crises around the world, local Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement staff and volunteers are at the heart of the response— taking action to support people who have been impacted.  

Summer is here, and it's time to enjoy the sunshine and outdoor activities. But summer also means extreme heat waves, which can be difficult to manage for adults and children alike.  

In April 2024, the Canadian Red Cross hosted a two-day Domestic Emergency Response Unit (D-ERU) open house event at the Best Western Plus Airport Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

The opioid poisoning crisis continues to be a pressing public health emergency, and responding to it head-on requires knowledge, preparation, and community support.  
 

I had just signed off on a Friday night when I received a text from my manager. “Fire in Labrador. Are you able to go?” “Absolutely!” I replied. Having only recently joined the Canadian Red Cross, I was keen to get a deployment under my belt. The challenge of course is that communities in Labrador are quite remote, so getting there isn’t always easy.  

On July 8, 2024, a wave of explosions struck Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Sloviansk in Ukraine. Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, was partially destroyed. The Centre for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, located inside Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, was also impacted.