Guest Blog by Cailin Hodder, Canadian Red Cross Disaster Management Planning & Response Lead in Manitoba
Recently, Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba went on a road trip to train groups of volunteers as members of new Personal Disaster Assistance (PDA) teams in Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson. The PDA teams, made up entirely of local volunteers, will provide support and basic necessities including clothes and shelter to families that have been displaced by house fires and other small disasters. Here’s a travel journal of the 2,069 kilometre road trip. We hope you enjoy it.
Sunday
The adventure begins! My daughter and I head to the Canadian Red Cross office to give Van 18 a bath inside and out and load him up when we discover that Van 18 has been disguising his age. Only a tape player can be found. A tape player! 24 hours on the road solo with no radio signal. What shall I do? I quickly head over to my parents house. Dad will have tapes. I receive some disturbing news. Mom sits me down on the couch and tells me she sold my New Kids on the Block cassette with my Cabbage Patch Kids cassette player at a garage sale. No!!! Luckily, Dad still has a collection of tapes and I’m not ashamed to blast Simon & Garfunkel on Highway 6.
Monday
I hit the road at 6 a.m. to travel 774 kilometres to Flin Flon. Stopping on the way only to fill the gas tank and get between a momma bear and her cubs.
I arrive in Flin Flon just in time to deliver the first of three PDA workshops to our Northern team. A representative from a local radio station stops by. The help with our volunteer recruitment drive is greatly appreciated.
Tuesday
I have the opportunity to meet with Flin Flon’s emergency coordinator, tour the RCMP station and update my Canadian Red Cross disaster management team during our weekly conference call. After a short visit to Creighton and Cranberry Portage, I am off to The Pas in the afternoon. With the help of a local colleague, Cherlyn, we deliver the second PDA workshop to 14 volunteers. The local paper shows up for a photo opportunity to help share the story of our work. Cheryl and I connect a school division with the RespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention team for some future programs in the area.
Wednesday
A nice and relaxing day. Cherlyn and I meet with the Mayor of The Pas, the emergency coordinator, and the fire chief. They are ecstatic about the PDA program in the community! We enhanced our partnership, which includes the use of storage facilities and space for an emergency operations centre as well as a training room.
I filled Cherlyn’s car full of supplies, had lunch with the regional emergency manager for Emergency Measures Organization and headed 392 kilometres east to Thompson.
Thursday
A day on the town! I meet with the fire chief and his deputy, who is also the emergency coordinator, and am able to connect with the Thompson RCMP and the Salvation Army.
After a visit with another school division, connecting with a local radio station, and sneaking in a nap, I present the third workshop to our Thompson team.
Friday
The 761 kilometre drive home.
On behalf of the disaster management team, thank you to the many people who dedicated their time and effort to ensure this trip was a success and thank you to all who support the work of the Canadian Red Cross.
For more information on becoming a Red Cross volunteer in your community, check out
redcross.ca/volunteer.
Read more about how Red Cross helps Canadians after disasters.