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A four decades-long military career taught Bernard St-Laurent the importance of service to others. Since retiring from the military eleven years ago, Bernard has shifted his focus to volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross. Bernard says he has witnessed firsthand the power of the Red Cross, at home and abroad, to help people and communities in times of need.

Being part of the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Phone Program in Saskatchewan isn’t about talking on the phone, says long-time volunteer Brad Hebert.
 “I don’t really talk on the phone a lot,” he thought when he first considered volunteering for the program. “But what I found out was that you don’t need to be a good talker; you need to be a good listener.”
 

Meet Igor, a volunteer for the Red Cross Meals on Wheels program in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Pregnancy can be a lot of things, exciting, terrifying, emotional, gassy - but no matter what, it means taking steps to care for yourself and your offspring.

After nearly losing her life in a fire and helplessly looking on as a man died of a heart attack, Chantale Bilodeau began volunteering with the Red Cross. Chantale has spent the last 12 years working for the organization she cares so deeply about and is now sharing her remarkable story.

Getting outside during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a boon for both body and mind, but not everyone is lucky enough to live near nature or have the means to get there. That’s why Altrusa International of Nanaimo decided to distribute bus tickets and maps to people in need - along with masks and hand sanitizer - to help them connect with the outdoors.

Can you think about the last time you started a new job? How everything was new for you, processes were confusing. Now, imagine that this new job is responding to the resurgence of Ebola in a neighbouring country during a pandemic. This is the tough job Jimmy Zaka Mansongele had to face when he was sent to the Republic of Congo as an Operations Manager for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

For me, knitting is one of those things that does wonders for my mental health, now more than ever.
As the pile of my so called “pandemic projects” and “COVID cast-ons” grew, I couldn’t help but connect the dots to other times when my chosen hobby played a part during history.