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After 45 years of volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross, Gaétane Rioux is still as caring as ever when she arrives at the scene of a fire. Whether the year is 1975 or 2020, people who are impacted by a disaster all experience a range of strong emotions when their homes are on fire. Gaétane and her fellow volunteers are there to provide compassion and a shoulder to lean on through such challenging times.

When you think of extraordinary people, Sandra MacArthur of Osler, SK, certainly fits the bill.
Her dedication as a Canadian Red Cross volunteer over the last 13 years helping others in the midst of disaster was recognized in a virtual ceremony November 25, 2020, during which she was named a member of the Order of the Red Cross.

Volunteering is a part of life for the Jacobs family. Garry Jacobs has volunteered with the Canadian Red Cross in Red Deer, Alberta for 30 years – along with his wife Sandy and now his daughter Jodyne (who volunteers in Strathmore, Alberta). In February, Garry was awarded the highest volunteer honour from the Canadian Red Cross – the Order of Red Cross, for his incredible contributions to the movement.

One member of the Far East Welfare Team was Jacqueline Van Campen, now a resident of Victoria, BC.  She was recruited by the Canadian Red Cross in 1953 when she was working on her Master of Social Work at Laval University. She spent a year in Japan and three months in Korea near the front, where she worked in various Maple Leaf Clubs. 

Nick Rondinelli and John Devlin were in their downtown Toronto offices on a spring day in late May, taking care of regular business responsibilities. Rondinelli was at his desk; Devlin was doing some paper work after teaching a first aid course when they heard a collision outside their window. A car and a scooter had collided head-on, propelling the rider several metres into the air. 

For Dr. Salim Sohani, a 35-year career in medicine, global health, and health promotion is not a job, but a passion. “It’s fulfilling and satisfying because it gives me the opportunity to make a difference and put a smile on the face of people,” says Dr. Sohani, a medical doctor who joined the Canadian Red Cross in 2008 after years of humanitarian work in Africa.  
 

In our current era which favours immediacy over careful contemplation, some things still take a lifetime to achieve – and they are worth the wait. Just ask Red Deer’s Women of Excellence Lifetime Achievement award winner, Nora Styner. A long-time Canadian Red Cross volunteer, Styner also took home the Red Deer & Community’s leadership award in the category of Athletics, Recreation and Fitness. Both awards symbolize Styner’s unwavering commitment to volunteerism.

We’re very excited to share that Red Cross volunteer, donor and partner Murad Al-Katib won the Oslo Business for Peace Award for his contributions to feeding refugee families. This honour comes as no surprise to us, as Murad is known for his dedication and care both at home and around the world.