It's been a busy summer here in Saskatchewan. Flooding at the end of June caused 154 communities to declare a state of emergency and forced many families from their homes. Here is an update on how Red Cross helped these families and continues to support the recovery of whole communities. 

By 2015, roughly 375 million people will be affected by climate-related disasters every year, 100 million more than were directly impacted last year.  And this does not count those affected by non-climate-related disasters such as earthquakes, conflicts and man-made disasters which are expected to affect many millions more.
These disasters often lead to separation of loved ones, leaving vulnerable people with no way to get in contact with those they have lost.

The summer’s sun is what gets me through Canadian winters. When my friend decided to get married in Cuba in July, I embraced the imminent heat with a welcoming ‘bring it on’.  Most days I don’t use my little air conditioner, but when it broke recently and temperatures reached into the 30s, I had to get practical about keeping my cool.

The Canadian Red Cross is a leader in Ontario when it comes to providing community support services, and sometimes we get the chance to pass that knowledge along to other organizations to help build community capacity in the area of health and wellness. The Red Cross had that opportunity recently when the Chapleau Hospital turned to the Red Cross for advice on establishing their transportation program for seniors.

Thousands of people in Saskatchewan are starting to clean up after the floods, and the Canadian Red Cross is helping, focusing on providing help not available through other programs or insurance.

Significant rainfall this past week in Saskatchewan and Manitoba has resulted in flooding in several towns and communities, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their home. In Manitoba, more flood waters are expected to come from the west in the coming days.

As the Alberta Flood anniversary approaches, we at Red Cross are naturally focused on the work still ahead of us. That’s because we know hundreds of families are still struggling to recover.  Even now, people arrive at our offices with heartbreaking stories. Often, their financial credit is maxed out and they don’t know where else to turn. In the midst of this need, it can be tough to take time to recognize everything that’s already been accomplished during the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood response. But of course, that’s equally important. So today, Red Cross says a special thank you to all the staff and volunteers who work so hard to help others.

Chile recently experienced two significant disasters, devastating fires and earthquake, that required more than simply providing for people's physical well-being. Red Cross volunteers on the ground also provided emotional support, as psychosocial aid is key to helping people recover from disasters. Two volunteers from the Chilean Red Cross share their stories.