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For Canadian Red Cross volunteer Florence Barron, 76, running and swimming keep her physically healthy while giving her free time to volunteering keeps her mentally healthy. Florence has been volunteering for the past 50 years, recently receiving the Order of the Red Cross.

By the time you finish reading this blog post, approximately 100 people will have been forced to flee their homes because of war, famine or a natural disaster. June 20th marks World Refugee Day, and this year’s theme is '1 family torn apart by war is too many'.

As the Alberta Flood anniversary approaches, we at Red Cross are naturally focused on the work still ahead of us. That’s because we know hundreds of families are still struggling to recover.  Even now, people arrive at our offices with heartbreaking stories. Often, their financial credit is maxed out and they don’t know where else to turn. In the midst of this need, it can be tough to take time to recognize everything that’s already been accomplished during the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood response. But of course, that’s equally important. So today, Red Cross says a special thank you to all the staff and volunteers who work so hard to help others.

Slabs of fresh sod draw subtle lines along the High River field where Andrea Vasquez’s kids play soccer now. Just as the park shows few signs of last year’s devastating floods, Vasquez says her family also refuses to be defined by the disaster.

It feels like summer is finally here and it's time to enjoy some favourite water activities, such as boating. As we mark Water Safety Week, we would like to remind you of some safety rules that could keep you and your fellow boaters safe this summer.

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

While we always talk about what should be in your disaster preparedness kit, we don’t often tell you what goes in ours. When we prepare for disasters we are not only preparing to ensure we can keep working should the worst happen, but also to help take care of those affected by disasters. We make sure that we have the basics: food, water, clothing, and other essential items that we can provide to those in need. We often have other administrative items as well, like: signs, pens, paper, rubber bands, pre-organized paper work and so on, to help us distribute aid in an organized manner.

Since conflict erupted in South Sudan several months ago, conditions have deteriorated rapidly for those leaving their homes in search of safety. Now driving rain makes their living conditions even harsher.