For a four-year-old child, receiving a package in the mail is about as exciting as it gets. So imagine the delight when a book is delivered every month. That’s the idea behind the Imagination Library of Wood Buffalo in northern Alberta. The organization delivers an age-appropriate book monthly to more than 1,800 children, from birth until they reach the age of five.

The health needs in Honduras following Hurricanes Eta and Iota are vast, but it’s not just the physical health needs that we are seeing on the ground. As a country that has been dealing with impacts of economic instability, violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and now, the aftermath of two destructive hurricanes, the mental health needs in Honduras are immense and cannot be ignored.

Could a simple phone call be the cure for loneliness? Loneliness is of course a complex state of being, but many isolated Canadians are finding reprieve from the often overwhelming feeling through friendly phone calls. Although one phone call may not offer a cure, participants in the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Call Program are finding it does open the door to conversation, friendship, and mutual respect. 

Recognizing the increased need for mental health support during the pandemic, Art Not Shame successfully applied to the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund administered by the Canadian Red Cross and launched “The Mural Project: Art in Hard Times” in the summer of 2020.

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.

WARNING: This story includes mention of a death by suicide.

Ayden Walter is a registered nurse. She’s a newcomer to Regina and was looking to make connections in her community when she discovered the Friendly Phone program on the Canadian Red Cross website.

Planning for the holidays during a pandemic, while also trying to be safe and managing COVID-19 fatigue can be challenging for all of us. Coping with a Health Emergency: A Guide for the Holidays includes suggestions and helpful tips that may make the holidays less stressful for you

Bored and isolated, who hasn’t struggled with those feelings in the last nine months? And then a package arrives in your community. It’s filled with stress relief strategies, positive messages, and a fun-filled afternoon of creation and expression. The Canadian Red Cross really knows how to pack a box!