Volunteering (Page 14)

Thirty years ago, in August 1989, Barb McNeill of Summerside, PEI, swam the English Channel, one of 15 Canadians to date and the only one from PEI who has done so. Decades later, her passion for swimming and water safety is perhaps rivalled only by the love of her golden retrievers.

Ann is one of our amazing volunteers in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She volunteers in the Emergency Management program helping her community in times of need and has assisted in public education through emergency preparedness presentations. In her own words, this is why she gives back.

The James family were one of many households in Ottawa impacted by the Great Ice Storm of 1998.  They managed through the many chilly nights without power but realized they could have been more prepared. Debbie made the decision, when the time was right, to join the Canadian Red Cross. When learning how to be better prepared for disasters, she also trained to be a responder to help others. 
On September 21, 2018, when tornadoes tore through the Ottawa/Gatineau region, Debbie had volunteered with the Red Cross for 13 years. In that time, she had responded to over 100 individual emergencies and supported Canadians impacted by  large-scale disasters like the Alberta Floods and Fort McMurray Fires. 
 

It’s 3 a.m. and Parnian Hosseini’s phone is ringing insistently. ‘Red Cross, Parnian speaking. How can I help you?’. Parnian is a highly-trained volunteer who helps answer the 24/7 emergency assistance line, read about how she is using her skills to make a difference in the lives of those who are living through an emergency or disaster. 

Brandy Cherarmie lived through Hurricane Katrina, where she saw firsthand the help that the Red Cross provides. Since then, she has joined as a volunteer and and has travelled around Canada helping people impacted by emergencies and disasters. 

Suha immigrated to Canada and wanted to give back to her community so she volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross in the HELP program and has assisted in public education through emergency preparedness presentations. This is why she gives back in her own words:

Have time on your hands this summer? Summertime is a great time for many, especially students who may have a few months of free time, to volunteer and reap its rewards. If you’re one of the lucky ones with more time on their hands in the summer, consider keeping your skills (whether life skills or more academically driven) sharp, or gain new ones, meet new people and have new experiences.

Meet Jason, a Canadian Red Cross volunteer who uses his technical skills to focus on logistics. Volunteers like Jason play a critical role in making sure responses to disasters run smoothly, and the supplies that are needed get where they need to go.