Community Health 8

It is Carmen Ferrer’s job to help meet the needs of people who have lost so much in the wake of disasters. As Head of Emergency Operations, she’s responsible for managing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) regional response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Read how she became a leader.

Feeling lonely? It’s expected – and many people are feeling this way right now. Fortunately, there are things you can do. Here’s four tips on helping yourself and others.
 

Winter in Canada can be very, very long… except when you’re having fun outside! Winter sports are just the ticket; they help you stay active during the cold season and make the tough months go by faster.  And while the benefits of exercise on physical health are well known, staying active can also be an effective way of ensuring good mental health.

Liane Greter is an emergency management volunteer from New Brunswick who deployed to Winnipeg, MB, where the Canadian Red Cross has been assisting some long-term care (LTC) homes with their COVID-19 response.

For a four-year-old child, receiving a package in the mail is about as exciting as it gets. So imagine the delight when a book is delivered every month. That’s the idea behind the Imagination Library of Wood Buffalo in northern Alberta. The organization delivers an age-appropriate book monthly to more than 1,800 children, from birth until they reach the age of five.

In early 2020, as measures to try to contain the spread of COVID-19 began, many of us had no idea how much our lives were about to change. Physical distancing, remote learning, lockdowns, and wearing masks would soon become a temporary way of life around the world. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel – Health Canada approved vaccines are now being distributed!
 

“I have learned that I am very capable of doing anything that I put my mind to,” says Dr Denisse Borbor following her shift at a long-term care home in Quebec.
The international medical graduate is currently a public health care advisor for the Canadian Red Cross, leading epidemic, prevention and control teams on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.

Since 2012, the Government of Canada has provided funding to a Canadian Red Cross project to support the Mali Red Cross and Mali Ministry of Health in delivering health services to rural communities, with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health. These services are sorely needed as, according to the latest estimates, Mali has some of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.