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Fear, stress and worry are all expected feelings during a crisis. If you’re among the many people who find themselves feeling drained as we enter this holiday season, there are small steps you can take that can help.

Statistics show that only one out of three Canadians will take steps to be prepared for a disaster - which means the majority of us are not prepared in case of emergency. This could be for few reasons so we want to dispel five common disaster myths.

It was 11 a.m. when science class started on Monday, August 17. A group of about 15 students was doing what students usually do before class starts: happily chatting about what they did on the weekend. There was nothing out of the usual until you looked closer and noticed the students ranged from a very young age to their senior years, and everyone was taking part in the class from their own home through a videoconferencing app. “It’s good that there are adults, teenagers, and children,” said Gail Berman, a 64-year-old student. This heterogeneous group is connected by a condition that is common to all of them: everyone has autism spectrum disorder.
 

RePère is a non-profit community organization whose mission is to foster the development of paternal skills by giving fathers the tools to build and maintain strong relationships with their children. Its main goals are to offer support to struggling fathers and help men define their role as a father. The organization has been active in the Montreal area for 25 years.
 

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. As some countries have begun loosening public health restrictions, others have experienced a surge in cases. No matter what the context, we’re committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected during this global crisis. Here are just some of the ways we’re doing that.

When the pandemic hit, Phyllis felt ready and prepared with a plan. As one of the main caregivers of her 87-year old father Peter, Phyllis rallied her siblings to ensure that their father was looked after, with plans for grocery and special deliveries even when the rest of family had to stay home. The family make a genuine effort to connect with Peter, and each other more often virtually than they typically did in person.
 

Things changed for Peter when he - like all British Columbians - was required to self-isolate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Being completely alone at home for an extended period of time, with no clear sense of when the restrictions would be lifted, made a real impact on Peter’s health, both physical and mental.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Erin Ellis explains why we don't always need to know what to say when someone is struggling with their mental health, and what you can do to still help.