14

Alberta Coordinator of the Indigenous Swimming and Water Safety Program for the Canadian Red Cross, Justice Vandale-Niccolls discusses water safety, representation and cultural connection.

A flotilla of rafts bearing rainbow flags on the Bow River, a hotel balcony drag show and a Pride History walk and brunch… These are just some of the events that are brightening Calgary streets this summer as part of the city’s annual Pride Week. But of course, with a global pandemic in full swing, this year’s festival is looking a little different. Calgary Pride has been hard at work for months adapting much of the programming for online delivery.

For more than 20 years, the Fort McKay Wellness Center, a non-profit organization in Fort McKay, Alberta, has been helping children and youth in Indigenous communities and from low-income families. When COVID-19 became a global pandemic, the Center was forced to close its doors. Despite these challenges, they managed to keep in contact with the community through a variety of creative ways.

DIG is one of hundreds of non-profit organizations across the country that has received funding from the Canadian Red Cross through the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund.
This grant has allowed DIG to not only keep its gardens growing during COVID-19, but to expand operations, providing an opportunity for those facing food insecurity to access sustainable, local food during the pandemic.

A recent national survey of LGBTQI2S communities found a higher rate of reduced employment and higher rates of an anticipated negative impact on mental health as a result of COVID-19 when compared to the general public. With these stark findings in mind, UR Pride Centre for Sexuality & Gender Diversity formed a collaboration with OUTSaskatoon and Moose Jaw Pride to better serve their most vulnerable members across the province.

For a lot of us, this pandemic has changed how we experience day-to-day stress. People from across the country have been using our online Psychological First Aid courses to help find balance for themselves and better support those around them.
Here’s how Canadians have put the Psychological First Aid courses to work for them: 

Potentially reaching 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians during COVID-19 is no mean feat. But, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is hoping to do just that, with funding received from the Canadian Red Cross, thanks to the Government of Canada. During this time when people can feel isolated, the UCC is using the funding to help bring people together.

Women of First Light is a not-for-profit organization led by Indigenous women in the Maritimes that seeks to heal communities, families and society by remembering and returning to the traditional ways of their ancestors. The group has reintroduced land-based learning activities, such as community gardens in several communities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as a tool for education to support food security for Indigenous communities.