Red Cross Stories (Page 8)

Three years after flooding destroyed thousands of properties across southern Alberta, a colourful new playground stands outside a brightly restored school in High River.
Where twisted metal, broken branches, thick mud and debris covered the area in 2013, children now swing happily between new play structures at Holy Spirit Academy. Funded by the Canadian Red Cross community grants program and other sponsors, the playground offers a lot of unique features, not only for students but the entire community.

Around the world, the Red Cross movement protects people who have been forced to flee their homelands in search of safety. Here is a snapshot of our work over the past year.   

​Every year on June 20th, World Refugee Day commemorates the perseverance of refugees and calls on the world to stand with those forced to leave their homes. At the Canadian Red Cross, programs like First Contact, in Vancouver and Toronto, and Restoring Family Links make a difference in the lives of refugees. This year, for World Refugee Day, we are highlighting some of the great stories of hope and survival from our blog in the past year.

In 2009, the Red Cross was there for Jillian Mullowney. Now a disaster management volunteer, Jillian shares her inspiration for working with the Red Cross, her experience helping support those impacted by the Alberta fires, and the day everything came full circle. 

Waking up from a mid-afternoon nap on a warm spring day Suda Wylie opened her eyes and was thrust into a nightmare.

Last week, across the country, the Canadian Red Cross has been thanking its many generous volunteers for National Volunteer Week (April 10-16). We have been sharing messages of gratitude from the Canadian Red Cross and encouraged others to do the same. Check out some of the great photos shared with #ThankAVolunteer throughout the week.

It was an emotional evening as 10 people from Alberta and British Columbia were recognized for their heroic efforts in two life-changing events and given Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Awards at a ceremony in Calgary.

This week (April 10-16) is National Volunteer Week, so we’re honouring our incredible volunteers by sharing a few of their stories as well as heartfelt gratitude. At the Canadian Red Cross, we have around 20,000 volunteers who give their time and skills in helping others.