Volunteers (Page 3)

During 2022, Red Cross is supporting its current Training Partners in making the transition to the swimming, lifeguarding, and aquatic leadership programs of the Lifesaving Society of Canada. As the transition is underway, the Canadian Red Cross looks back on the program and the volunteers who contributed to it with gratitude and acknowledgement of their life changing work.

For many people who have left Ukraine since the end of February, helping others is a priority, both those who have also fled and those in their new communities. These are the stories of some women from Ukraine who are now supporting the work of the Romanian Red Cross.

When looking at a map of Northern Saskatchewan, you’ll notice the roads are few and far between. It’s easy to wonder, how do people get help promptly during times of need? The answer is through the dedicated volunteers locally placed throughout the community who spring into action when duty calls.

“My life as I was leaving Syria took the path of the unknown. I wasn’t sure what would happen next.” Read Ghufran Othman’s story about her journey from refugee to volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross. 

The contributions of Canadian Red Cross personnel who have volunteered locally and around the world to natural disasters or health emergencies including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were highlighted recently in a ceremony at the Nova Scotia legislature in Halifax to mark International Volunteer Day 2021.

With 16 years under her belt in the Canadian Red Cross, Ottawa volunteer Debbie James is accustomed to focusing on others. Debbie’s can-do attitude has led her through more than 100 responses across the country and an array of roles supporting others.
“If I have the bandwidth and my help is needed, I’ll try to do it,” she says.

When Dave Schiller decided it was time to retire after 30 years as a school counsellor in London, Ontario, he was looking for his next venture. He found it with the Canadian Red Cross.
“I wanted to retire to something and not just from something,” Dave explains.

As volunteers, we all give what we can when we can. The Canadian Red Cross could not help those in need without this support and volunteer Rudy Ambtman from Manitoba has a lot to give.