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With the year winding to an end, we took a look back at some of our most engaging blog posts from 2018. With natural disasters and emergencies occurring across Canada and the world, these blogs reflect the willingness of people to help and some inspiring stories of people wanting to make a difference. Here are the top 10 blogs from 2018.

Our volunteers consist of thousands of remarkable Canadians, generously giving their time to help others in need. Here we sit down with one such volunteer from P.E.I., Jamie MacKay who shares what he has seen and experienced as a volunteer, and why he does it.

Read about the 2018 World Disaster Report, which examines those who are not being reached with critical humanitarian assistance, and how they can receive aid.
 

The Canadian Red Cross is working with the Honduran Red Cross to help build their capacity as part of the CERA program. This program, with support from the Government of Canada, means that the Honduran Red Cross will be better prepared to respond to disasters and emergencies. Here are some ways the program is making a difference in Honduras.

Recently, Red Cross provided assistance to a family in Saskatchewan who survived a catastrophic house fire. The family was barbecuing on their deck. The son stepped out to check on dinner but hesitated when he reached the grill. The barbecue seemed far too hot, so he returned to the kitchen to fetch some oven mitts. Just as he crossed the threshold, the propane tank exploded.

Shawn Gervais and his family received two alerts on their cell phones before the tornado hit – one warned them of high winds, the next one told them to take shelter immediately. Now the family is recovering from the disaster, with help from the Canadian Red Cross. 

Many of you come to us during disasters with offers of support and donations, but also with questions about how the Red Cross helps in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. We hope this information will help in understanding what type of assistance we provide.

In the early days of a disaster, Red Cross communications aid workers are under immense pressure to respond. These early days are also a key time for communications aid workers to reach the media to harness the public’s attention and increase donations, which have a big impact on the disaster assistance that the Red Cross can provide. That’s why the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) held its first-ever international emergency communications training in Finland in September.