Disaster Response (Page 15)

When COVID-19 gripped the country, locking down everything, Jean-Anne Booker wondered how it would affect her volunteer work with the Canadian Red Cross. It turned out that there was no need for concern as the Red Cross quickly pivoted to continue to provide much-needed assistance. It also turned out that Jean-Anne had one of her busiest summers since she started volunteering with Red Cross four years ago.

Potentially reaching 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians during COVID-19 is no mean feat. But, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is hoping to do just that, with funding received from the Canadian Red Cross, thanks to the Government of Canada. During this time when people can feel isolated, the UCC is using the funding to help bring people together.

75 years ago, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The scale of the destruction which resulted from their use was unprecedented; the immediate blast killed over 150,000 people. (Some estimates put the death toll closer to 200,000). The suffering caused by the destruction and nuclear fallout continues to this day.
 

Like many others, when Sunny Sun came to Canada from China, her elderly parents followed. They didn’t speak any English and were not familiar with the culture. It was understandably a difficult transition for them.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Red Cross volunteers are working in local communities to assist the most vulnerable populations.
Volunteers such as Luc and Adele are administering door-to-door Safety and Wellness checks in Ottawa.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. As some countries have begun loosening public health restrictions, others have experienced a surge in cases. No matter what the context, we’re committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected during this global crisis. Here are just some of the ways we’re doing that.

When the muddy water from nearby rivers spilled into Fort McMurray in late April, some made its way into the Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP) depot there. At its height, the freezing floodwater stood more than a metre deep in the building.

The Canadian Red Cross has been helping Canadians since 1896. This World Red Cross Day, we take a look back at its long legacy of relief, hope, and comfort for people in Canada and abroad.