After graduating from the nursing program at Queens University, Nicole Edwards made some surprising discoveries about community health. Nicole had just returned to her hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was seeking ways to occupy her free time while she looked for a job. She applied to volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross, and was assigned the role of Community Health Transportation volunteer with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living program.
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In 2012, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child voiced concern about violence against children, including gender-based violence, in Myanmar, noting that there were not adequate resources in place to keep girls and boys safe. In 2013, the Myanmar Red Cross and Canadian Red Cross joined together to work towards violence prevention programs.
Cliff Colpitts took his first ever first aid class. It was offered through his workplace. Canadian Red Cross training partner Ron Gillatt instructed the class, teaching important first aid skills – including CPR, which Cliff would later use to save his son’s life.
On Monday, Red Cross rescued 350 people from unsafe boats crossing the Mediterranean to seek safety in Europe. Favourable weather this week has seen an increase in the number of people risking the treacherous journey in search of refuge due to the calmer seas.
Sandra is a psychosocial support aid worker with the Canadian Red Cross. When disasters and emergencies strike, the obvious stuff – damaged homes, destroyed infrastructure, injured people – sometimes makes it easy to overlook the damage that’s invisible. We can be impacted by disaster and emergency in many ways and can experience deep trauma that doesn’t simply go away once physical damage is addressed. Recovering from these events requires emotional care just as much as it requires physical care.
It wasn't so long ago that delivering aid in times of crisis, whether in Canada or elsewhere, inevitably took the form of distributing goods (blankets, food, water, and other essentials) and services (shelter, first aid, and so on). But in recent years, the Red Cross has also taken a new approach, one that utilizes the latest technology and empowers people who are affected by emergencies to access cash and purchase items most needed by their family.
Mohammed Sunba shares his experiences of volunteering with the Red Cross: he started nearly two years ago to support people who have been impacted by personal disasters, such as house fires and floods. The Alberta fire response is the largest disaster Mohammed has been a part of as a Red Cross volunteer.
Earlier this summer in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I participated in Exploring Humanitarian Law educator training, a program. This free session is sponsored by the Canadian Red Cross with support from Global Affairs Canada, and introduced us to an education program that’s designed to help students aged 13 to 18 learn about humanitarian action, international law and justice.