“I think the pressures that come with volunteering with the [Canadian] Red Cross are exciting and even a bit addicting,” says Squamish-based Emergency Services volunteer, Dustin Wales, when asked what it is about volunteering with the CRC that he enjoys so much.
In addition, he’s excited about the opportunities to give back across the country and the world.
“I hope to be deployed provincially, nationally and even internationally one day,” he shares.
Wales personally works in the field of environmental research and is considering creating his own non-profit, so the opportunity to volunteer for one of the most well-run organizations in the world was extremely appealing for him.
“I had always heard of the Red Cross and the work being done, and the reputation of the organization prompted me to sign up,” he said, “but it’s truly remarkable being part of the Squamish team. I’m so impressed by what a group of smart, dedicated volunteers can achieve under the leadership and vision of the CRC mandate.”
Dustin has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for under a year, and his most memorable experience to date has been the Squamish Fire response in April 2020. It was a significant emergency situation, with an evacuation of over 100 people, and COVID-19 restrictions in place.
The response team was agile in creating new, COVID-19 specific processes and practices to use.
“Certainly, the experience was a challenging one, but because the Red Cross already has such a well-grounded system of SOPs, we were successful.”
When asked if he’d recommend the volunteer experience to others, Dustin was thoughtful. “I would, but it depends on the person.”
He elaborated by saying, “The Red Cross invests training and confidence in their volunteers in order to enable them to do really meaningful work. It can take hard work and selflessness, but it creates such an incredible opportunity for those who are willing to give.”
To learn more about volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross as an Emergency Response volunteer, please visit
www.redross.ca/volunteer or email
volunteerbcy@redcross.ca.