Long before Hurricane Irma hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Red Cross volunteers from these countries were trained and ready to help with a variety of new skills, systems, and equipment, thanks to a Canadian Red Cross project called CERA (Capacity Building for Emergency Response in the Americas).

One of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Caribbean in recent history, Irma has affected more than 1.2 million people across the region. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Maria has brought new misery to the same areas, as the most intense hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years.

Overnight on August 14, after several days of torrential rainfall, devastating floods and mudslides occurred in and around Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown. The most affected areas are in the eastern part of Racecourse, and in the outskirts of Regent and Lumley areas.
 

In our current era which favours immediacy over careful contemplation, some things still take a lifetime to achieve – and they are worth the wait. Just ask Red Deer’s Women of Excellence Lifetime Achievement award winner, Nora Styner. A long-time Canadian Red Cross volunteer, Styner also took home the Red Deer & Community’s leadership award in the category of Athletics, Recreation and Fitness. Both awards symbolize Styner’s unwavering commitment to volunteerism.

For Virginia Monias, 61, a member of Garden Hill First Nation, it was Manitoba's changing winds that forced her out of her home.
"The smoke was coming from the south, but they were afraid the smoke would come from the west and hit Garden Hill. They were prepared for it. That's why we came to Winnipeg," said Monias, who was evacuated on September 2.

Last year, Robert Falconer went into anaphylactic shock. The experience inspired him to become trained in first aid. Shortly after he got his training, Robert needed to use those skills. 

Here are 10 safety tips to help introduce your kids to the online world, as well as a few pointers on how to protect their privacy.

Jennifer Vibert, Program Officer at the Canadian Red Cross, recently returned from South Sudan, where the Red Cross, with support from the Government of Canada, is implementing a five-year (2014–2019) mother, newborn and child health project.

Jennifer tells us more about the work the Canadian Red Cross is doing to improve  the lives of women and children in South Sudan.