Volunteer Profile: John Clemenson

This week’s feature volunteer is John Clemenson, who has been with the Canadian Red Cross for 10 years.

John is a Personal Disaster Assistance supervisor in Swan River, and a member of the Emergency Response Team. He responds to both small-scale, area-specific disasters such as house fires, and he is also trained for larger scale responses.

No matter the scale of the disaster, an emergency situation can be terribly traumatic for the people involved. John’s pride in his work comes from “being able to help people dealing with a stressful situation.”

A crucial part of easing the stress of others in times of trouble is by managing one’s own stress levels. John relaxes by playing a variety of sports and travelling.

Working for the Red Cross is particularly satisfying when a volunteer has the opportunity to provide assistance all the way through an emergency situation, he explained. He had the chance to provide that kind of long term help during the 2018 spring wildfires in Manitoba. John worked with the Sapotoweyak Cree Nation when its residents were evacuated from the community, helped them during their stay, and assisted the residents when it was time to return home.

Sharing in their joy and relief when the emergency was resolved, and watching their hope and determination solidify as they returned to their community made all of of the hard work and long days worthwhile for John.

Make a difference in people’s lives. Learn more about volunteering for the Red Cross at www.redcross.ca/HeroesWantedMB, email vrs@redcross.ca or call 204-982-7330 for more details.