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Colder temperatures. Less light. Rain, snow. It can sometimes be difficult to stay cheery during the winter in a country like ours! Some Canadians enjoy the season because it gives them a good excuse - if not forces them - to do something that we tend to neglect: to take time out for ourselves, and ourselves alone.

As COVID-19 cases soar in many countries, the dreaded ‘second wave’ seems to be upon us. Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the globe have never stopped working to provide support during this ongoing crisis and remain on the frontlines of the pandemic response. As needs and information change, here are some examples of how the Red Cross is adapting our work to meet these new realities.

“How have you been taking care of yourselves?” Lisa Evanoff asks a group of students huddled around a Zoom call in the mostly Indigenous community of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. It’s a simple question, but one that not everybody is equipped to answer.

It’s a trying time. As we do our best to cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, remember that stress, and feelings of confusion, disappointment and worry are expected during a crisis (for adults and kids!). To help, we’ve put together some tips for parents on how to cope with the mental health impacts of COVID-19.

The Baker Lake Prenatal Nutrition Project has been supporting new mothers and mothers-to-be in the remote Inuit community of Nunavut for 25 years. When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in the spring of 2020, prenatal and postnatal classes had to be put on hold, but the Project wanted to continue distributing food hampers.

The Horn Youth Services Foundation in Edmonton, Alberta knew it had to find a way to support its community. “Like the rest of Canada, domestic violence is increasing in our community due to COVID-19,” said Khadar Jama, KULAN’s executive director. 
 KULAN successfully applied to the Canadian Red Cross and is now able to continue its programming for high-risk and low-income families.

Content note: This blog discusses female genital mutilation (FGM)
Through the Continuum of Care project, Aziza Abdikadir Hassan, Gender and Diversity Manager for the Somali Red Crescent Society has worked to train health officers and many community volunteers on various Protection Gender and Inclusion topics. One of the topics was awareness and community mobilization to prevent FGM.

NAMI serves as an umbrella organization for the various Nigerian social and cultural groups in Manitoba. It encourages business connections, hosts Nigerian and Canadian holidays, and promotes intercultural collaborations.