28

Catherine Mitchell calls herself the bionic woman. She jokes, but it’s partly true...she does have a bionic leg at least. A bad fall left Catherine with a shattered femur that required two months in hospital and three months at a nursing home before being able to return home. Once she did, she realized she needed additional support in place to live independently.

Released today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), this year’s World Disasters Report takes a look at the importance of local actors, individuals and local groups such as National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, taking action as first responders at the scene of a crisis.

With 20 other highly-trained Red Cross delegates, plus a mobile field hospital and operating theatre, Lynn flew into Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu shortly after the first earthquake.

Within a few days, an entire Basic Health Care facility had taken shape near the remote village of Khokundole. The night they finished, Lynn pulled on her toque and climbed into a sleeping bag, knowing her real work would start the next day.

According to Kassahun Shambo, an emigrant from Ethiopia, being a newcomer to Manitoba can be a frustrating experience. Shambo remembers walking with a friend, another newcomer to Canada, who slipped and injured himself on a patch of ice. The men didn’t know what to do, so they went to a local shopping mall and asked people where they could get medical help.

Dash Bare Sagar arrived in a Dadaab refugee camp in 2011 following continued clashes in his home area of Jilib, Somalia, which left his uncle dead. He managed to escape with his mother, wife, as well as five children (two from his deceased uncle) and travelled to Kenya where he became a community leader in his camp and a Kenya Red Cross volunteer.

Did you know that over 20,000 Canadians dedicate their time to helping others as Red Cross volunteers? As we mark National Volunteer Week, it’s time to say thank you to these everyday heroes!  

While completing a BA in Global Studies at Ryerson University, Jaskaran Gill began volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross in September 2013. When the chance to volunteer with the First Contact Program came up, it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

At this year's Annual Volunteer Appreciation event, the Woodstock Branch recognized Conny Schuurman with 25 years of voluntary service as a driver with the Canadian Red Cross Transportation Program.