Volunteering (Page 11)

Even during COVID-19, the Red Cross is on the ground, helping where we're needed. 

Tom Jackson loves you.
You might think that’s funny or that he’s just being smart but he’s not. It’s his promise to you. And for Jackson, who has been part of the Canadian consciousness through his work in television, film, and music for decades, love is what we need right now.

From sailing across the Pacific Ocean to isolation at a Canadian military base for two weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken Al Stickney of Saskatoon on a strange journey that ended with a new volunteer position with the Canadian Red Cross.

With the Red Cross for over a dozen years, I have been deployed to the scene of unimaginable emergencies many times, including the Lac-Mégantic railway tragedy, the Fort McMurray wildfire, the recent floods in Eastern Canada and to Montreal to welcome many Syrian refugees. Unfortunately, I understand too well the plight of people confronted with extraordinary situations.

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.

Sandra Christie of Halifax has been a Canadian Red Cross volunteer for four years, drawing on her background as a registered nurse to lead a Safety and Wellbeing team that has been providing virtual support by phone to people feeling isolated, anxious or needing unique help addressing issues relating to COVID-19.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Zoe has brought her skills to several roles from organizing events to answering phones. Read how Zoe's diverse volunteer experience allowed her to discover a new passion. 

During a typical disaster, Red Cross volunteers would check on how someone is coping through a face-to-face visit, however, in keeping with COVID-19 physical distancing requirements, teams are currently doing daily check-ins by phone. In Saskatchewan, volunteers have already made more than 200 wellness check phone calls to people with vulnerabilities being supported in self-isolation.