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On August 30, the Canadian Red Cross, along with members of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, mark the International Day of the Disappeared. For the families of those missing, each passing day without contact from their loved ones is one of uncertainty and anguish.

Sharla Kojima is a safety and wellbeing responder on deployment with the Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba working with First Nation members evacuated to Winnipeg because of air quality concerns due to wildfires. Her help has been very appreciated by those impacted, as shown in this comment card.

Hit by several significant emergencies in recent years, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14 caused more damage, destroying critical infrastructure resulting in more than 2,180 deaths, more than 12,200 injuries, and 298 people missing so far. The Red Cross has been working to meet the urgent needs of people impacted since the first moments after the earthquake occurred. 

Some of our first aid courses can be long in order to provide certification meeting legislation requirements - but there is also First Aid Basics. If you’re a new parent, want to build confidence in responding to emergencies, or want to refresh and update your first aid skills, this course provides practical knowledge in the basics of first aid in 2 to 2.5 hours.

Jules Zanré, a Montrealer originally from Burkina Faso, has spent the last 10 years improving access to health care for mothers, newborns, and children in many rural communities of Mali.

Six-year-old Jaycee Berezowski received the Red Cross Rescuer Award recently; her life-saving actions show how crucial practice can be in a crisis.
Jaycee’s mom, Jenine, had all her wisdom teeth removed. She was taking pain medication and after a couple of days with no ill effects, Jenine’s boyfriend returned to work, leaving Jenine to rest and recover with her daughter, Jaycee.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as information began to flow into Canada about how serious this disease might become, Alberta Health Services started ramping up their testing capacity. Some 10,000 kilometres away in Southeast Asia, the Philippine Red Cross took notice.

Cindy Chiu volunteers to support the Health Equipment Loans Program and the Friendly Calls Program, two vital Red Cross community health and well-being services in Alberta. 
“The most rewarding part about volunteering with HELP is hearing people express their gratitude for the equipment they received; how it greatly aided in their recovery or helped them continue to live independently.”