Emergency 9

A four decades-long military career taught Bernard St-Laurent the importance of service to others. Since retiring from the military eleven years ago, Bernard has shifted his focus to volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross. Bernard says he has witnessed firsthand the power of the Red Cross, at home and abroad, to help people and communities in times of need.

Getting outside during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a boon for both body and mind, but not everyone is lucky enough to live near nature or have the means to get there. That’s why Altrusa International of Nanaimo decided to distribute bus tickets and maps to people in need - along with masks and hand sanitizer - to help them connect with the outdoors.

Can you think about the last time you started a new job? How everything was new for you, processes were confusing. Now, imagine that this new job is responding to the resurgence of Ebola in a neighbouring country during a pandemic. This is the tough job Jimmy Zaka Mansongele had to face when he was sent to the Republic of Congo as an Operations Manager for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

For me, knitting is one of those things that does wonders for my mental health, now more than ever.
As the pile of my so called “pandemic projects” and “COVID cast-ons” grew, I couldn’t help but connect the dots to other times when my chosen hobby played a part during history.

Ololade (Lola) Ogunsuyi has discovered her niche working with the Canadian Red Cross as a site manager, supporting residents and staff at long-term care homes in Ontario. With her penchant for sharing knowledge and solving problems, Lola has instilled confidence in teams as they work to turn the tide against COVID-19.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a year ago, it didn’t take long for newcomers to Canada to start knocking harder on the door of the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre in Saskatchewan.
“People were being laid off from work. Families were struggling to make ends meet. One lady was crying. She had no food to feed her family. We basically pulled funding out of our reserve fund and gave her some money."

It is Carmen Ferrer’s job to help meet the needs of people who have lost so much in the wake of disasters. As Head of Emergency Operations, she’s responsible for managing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) regional response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Read how she became a leader.

When Mark Pettitt fundraises for his local United Way in Estevan, Saskatchewan, he always tells people that giving is important because, “you never know when you might be the one needing help.”
Little did he know that he would need assistance from the Canadian Red Cross, one of the organizations supported by the United Way Estevan, when an October fire forced his family out of their home in the middle of the night.