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​It was love at first sight for Canadian Red Cross volunteer Georges Yaacoub who met his wife at a Red Cross Valentine’s Day party in his birthplace of Zahlé, Lebanon. Born into a benevolent Lebanese family, Georges spent his childhood surrounded by humanitarians.
Immigrating to Canada in 2010, Georges settled in Nova Scotia. He sat down recently to share his incredible journey from hometown to Halifax and his love for all things Red Cross.

There’s no doubt 2016 was a challenging year for many people who experienced disasters such as the Alberta fires and Hurricane Matthew, or who fled their home as a result of armed conflict.

​We want to cap off the year by sharing some of the most inspiring and heartwarming Red Cross stories from 2016 to show humanity at its best. What inspired you this year?

Immediately after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti on October 4, the Haiti Red Cross Society and other Red Cross partners rushed staff and volunteers to the worst affected communities to assess needs and deliver emergency assistance. Canadian Red Cross aid delegate Dr. Lynda Redwood-Campbell was part of an IFRC assessment team that was among the first to reach many storm-battered towns and villages and had a key role in supporting the health response that followed, in coordination with Haiti’s Ministry of Health, the Haiti Red Cross and other health responders. These are some of her reflections:

“Wintery mix” weather forecasts. Icy road conditions. Christmas shopping rush. Public transportation delays. Rising grocery prices... It all sounds like home to me and I’ve dearly missed it here! I’m catching up with friends and family, enjoying good company and the simple pleasures of life in Montreal – what I have missed most while on mission in South Sudan.

For the past week, more than 100 personnel from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the ICRC have been facilitating the evacuation of people from Eastern Aleppo. As of yesterday, tens of thousands of civilians had been successfully evacuated in this complex operation.

There are various ways to celebrate the holiday season and many use decorations such as trees, lights and candles to show a festive spirit. Lighting candles, stringing ornaments, decking trees all make for merry holidays with friends and family, but it’s important to be aware of accidents at this time of year. Every year, common incidents include falling off ladders while hanging lights or decorations, cutting hands or fingers with scissors while wrapping or assembling toys, as well as electrical shocks.

Spirits were high from the first few moments of the aid distribution in Jérémie, Haiti, when Red Cross volunteers and staff provided residents with much-needed tarps and hygiene kits.
 
Prior to the distribution, Red Cross teams visited the city to identify those left most vulnerable after Hurricane Matthew and ensured that their immediate needs were met.

Pretty much all of us have found ourselves scrambling last minute to buy a gift. In fact, a recent Ipsos poll found that three out of 10 gifts purchased by Canadians are done within a day of giving the gift. We’ve all been there! Plus, after buying last minute, a lot of us worry that the recipient will be disappointed with what we got them. The same poll found that 64% of those asked agreed that they would prefer to receive a charitable gift that would help someone else.