Red Cross Talks (Page 31)

Planning for the holidays during a pandemic, while also trying to be safe and managing COVID-19 fatigue can be challenging for all of us. Coping with a Health Emergency: A Guide for the Holidays includes suggestions and helpful tips that may make the holidays less stressful for you

There are two extremes in our own perceptions of our winter driving capabilities: there are those who it barely phases, moving deftly from summer to winter driving with nary a care other than switching to winter tires OR those who are gripped with panic, frozen in fear if you will, at the idea of driving on slippery, icy roads that no longer have discernable markings making you dependent on the car ahead of you for as long as you can see it.
Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Bored and isolated, who hasn’t struggled with those feelings in the last nine months? And then a package arrives in your community. It’s filled with stress relief strategies, positive messages, and a fun-filled afternoon of creation and expression. The Canadian Red Cross really knows how to pack a box!

When Claudine St-Jean saw the posting for people who could assist in Quebec long-term care facilities, she knew immediately she had to put her name forward.
“I had recently lost two family members to COVID-19 in Quebec,” Claudine explained.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, mental health has been at the forefront as the disruption to regular life and routines has many people feeling trapped and isolated in their own home. In southwestern Nova Scotia, the Shelburne County Mental Health & Wellness Association is helping by offering a Warm Line for people in distress.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) knew what to do. It was one of the few benefits to come out of the country’s previous experience with Ebola.

Lisa Ogbole is a survivor of domestic violence, an immigrant, and a woman, but she says one of the most important supports she can provide to Black women who are escaping domestic violence is that she too is Black. In February 2019, Ogbole opened Imani’s Place in Alliston, Ontario.

Driving through communities in La Lima, the damage is harrowing to witness. A family photograph, a child’s backpack and a stuffed bear are some of the belongings that families had to abandon as they rushed to evacuate.
The flooding that followed the two hurricanes devastated entire communities who were already dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the pre-existing humanitarian crisis.