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Tina Barrett, her son and grandson evacuated, only to find themselves in several locations across Alberta. The Red Cross was there every step of the way. Tina shares her experience from evacuation to returning to Fort McMurray.

“I really, really wanted to say thank you. I don’t think I conveyed how grateful I was.” Maggie Ireland fought back tears as she thanked two Red Cross volunteers for their assistance after she and her niece, Jamie, were involved in a car accident in downtown Edmonton.

Canadians across the country came together to support evacuated residents from Fort McMurray. To date, more than $135 million has been raised by Canadians from coast to coast to support immediate emergency assistance, re-entry needs, and long-term community rebuilding for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Marial Mayom Riak and his uncle Anyuon Awan meet each other with smiles, hugs and a traditional greeting. It has been years since they last saw each other, but the two family members, from opposite sides of the world, are brought back together through the Red Cross and the Fort McMurray fire.

“I’m so glad to be back in town,” says the feisty 86-year-old Jean Jensen, who locals affectionately call Grandma Jean. “I’ve been here over 40 years fighting for Fort Mac, and I’m gonna keep on fighting ... because I love it here."

Around the world, the Red Cross movement protects people who have been forced to flee their homelands in search of safety. Here is a snapshot of our work over the past year.   

​Every year on June 20th, World Refugee Day commemorates the perseverance of refugees and calls on the world to stand with those forced to leave their homes. At the Canadian Red Cross, programs like First Contact, in Vancouver and Toronto, and Restoring Family Links make a difference in the lives of refugees. This year, for World Refugee Day, we are highlighting some of the great stories of hope and survival from our blog in the past year.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Laurence Lépine is a member of the Safety and Well Being Team working at the Welcome Centres in Fort McMurray. Members of the team have expertise in psychological first aid and assist people under stress in disaster situations. In Fort McMurray, Laurence assists people who have been under mandatory evacuation orders and are returning to homes that may have been damaged or destroyed by the wildfires that ravaged many areas of the northern Alberta community.