Five years ago today, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing approximately 9,000 people and injuring more than 20,000. The earthquake destroyed over 600,000 homes, damaged healthcare facilities, destroyed crops and decimated livestock.

Pandemic or no pandemic, one of the hardest things to go through in life is significant loss.
Grief is always difficult, but especially if you are alone or cannot be with a friend or family member. 

Volunteering is a part of life for the Jacobs family. Garry Jacobs has volunteered with the Canadian Red Cross in Red Deer, Alberta for 30 years – along with his wife Sandy and now his daughter Jodyne (who volunteers in Strathmore, Alberta). In February, Garry was awarded the highest volunteer honour from the Canadian Red Cross – the Order of Red Cross, for his incredible contributions to the movement.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, healthcare systems are under strain to keep up with demand. This is one of the areas where the Canadian Red Cross is uniquely ready to respond and adapt to changing circumstances and needs.

For many Canadians in need, COVID-19 brings a whole new set of challenges in terms of food, lodging, hygiene, access to health care, and social interactions. Fewer pedestrians and reduced vehicle traffic mean less charitable giving in public spaces.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Kara Shiestel’s role quickly changed from being a responder to a recipient of care from the Red Cross after arriving in Trenton, Ontario for a period in quarantine. Being on the receiving end of Red Cross support, after training as a volunteer, helped Kara deal with the situation for herself and others.

A couple of years ago, Gwen Schick retired. She discovered that she missed meeting people in the course of her travels for work. So, Gwen started volunteering as a Friendly Phone volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan.
The Friendly Phone program pairs volunteers with seniors who feel they could benefit from weekly phone calls. That’s it. 

Normally, when someone loses everything they own in an apartment fire, the Canadian Red Cross Personal Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) arrives on the scene with blankets and teddy bears to offer warmth and comfort. That’s how it worked before COVID-19.