Red Cross Services
Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere. Those in need can’t wait, their needs are urgent. The Canadian Red Cross helps vulnerable communities affected by emergencies and disaster – from individual house fires, power outages and floods to wildfires and hurricanes, which disrupt entire regions.
Before a disaster happens, the Canadian Red Cross is hard at work in your local community, planning for the unexpected.
Following a disaster in Canada, Red Cross workers provide vital assistance for people’s basic needs, including:
- Family reunification: The chaos and confusion that accompany emergencies and natural disasters can separate families when they need each other most. Red Cross helps people re-establish contact with immediate family members after separation due to natural disasters and other humanitarian crises.
- Emergency lodging: After a disaster or emergency, safe, temporary lodging is provided to persons who cannot return home and cannot find alternate accommodations.
- Reception and information: The purpose of the reception and information services is to greet evacuees, provide information regarding services provided within the centre and provide access control to the facility.
- Emergency food: Food is provided to evacuees, emergency workers and disaster volunteers through various means which may include vouchers, meals at a shelter, or referral to another agency.
- Emergency clothing: We provide evacuees access to basic clothing through various means which may include purchasing, providing vouchers or referral to other agencies.
- Personal services: Personal services offers first aid, temporary care for unattended children and dependent elderly, provides or arranges for provision of material assistance, and offers emotional support to people with needs created or aggravated by a disaster.
If you have been affected by a personal disaster, such as a house fire, find out how we can help you.
If you have been affected by a large-scale disasters in Canada, please visit this section for more information and to register for assistance.
Canadian Red Cross Guides to Recovery:
A Guide to Home Fire Recovery
This guide provides information on what to do after you have experienced a fire in your home.Download guide
A Guide to Wildfire Recovery
This guide provides information on what to do after you have experienced a wildfire.Download guide
A Guide to Flood Recovery
This guide provides information on what to do if a flood were to occur in your home.Download guide
A Guide to Coping with Crisis
This guide provides information on how to cope with these normal reactions to abnormal events.Download guide
A Guide to Recovery for Parents and Caregivers
This guide provides information on how parents and caregivers can help children during and after disasters.Download guide
All Red Cross assistance is provided free of charge thanks to thousands of volunteers who give their time to train extensively and respond. Our services also rely on the generous financial support of individual and corporate donors. If you want to help, you can do so by volunteering your resources or by donating now.