Emergency

Whether you are experiencing this week’s flooding, landslides and extreme weather in British Columbia first-hand or are watching it unfold through social media and television screens, there’s no denying the sheer devastation it has caused.

When lightning strikes, disaster can follow in mere minutes. Elizabeth, her husband, four children and family dog escaped a sudden home fire, and were grateful for the support of the Red Cross Personal Disaster Assistance Team in Prince Albert, SK. 

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries are now experiencing devastating second, third, and fourth waves of the virus. While the quick development of vaccines is positive news, COVID-19 remains an ongoing crisis and its effects will still be seen for years to come. Here are some examples of how Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies continue to provide support.

Although the staff at Theatre Gargantua in Toronto picked up some interesting hobbies and pastimes during the early stages of lockdown, they were eager to get back to the stage. When they were able to do so, Theatre Gargantua quickly applied for and adopted the Stop the Spread program to ensure that their staff and audience would feel safe and comfortable getting back to live theatre.

Providing a safe place to people in need of shelter, Embrave Agency to End Violence could not even consider closing due to the pandemic. Instead, they looked for ways to keep operating safely, for clients and staff, implementing many safety measures, including the Canadian Red Cross Stop the Spread program.

Since the start of this year’s wildfires season in British Columbia in mid-June, more than 1,600 wildfires were recorded in the province, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes throughout the province. The Canadian Red Cross sent close to 200 employees and volunteers from across the country to help support individuals, families and communities affected by the wildfires.

Most Canadian Red Cross international emergency health clinic deployments last four weeks.  In fall 2020, however, Garry Enns of Manitoba was the first Canadian Red Cross humanitarian worker to support the clinic from start to finish.

Sharla Kojima is a safety and wellbeing responder on deployment with the Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba working with First Nation members evacuated to Winnipeg because of air quality concerns due to wildfires. Her help has been very appreciated by those impacted, as shown in this comment card.