Volunteers 19

In what proved to be a well-timed coincidence, Red Cross volunteer Cheryl Beckett was part of a training exercise last Thursday with the City of Ottawa. Her role was to help set up a mock reception centre. The very next day she would do the same thing but not as part of an exercise this time, as flood waters in Ottawa began to seep into residential areas and many families became unsafe. 

In honour of National Volunteer week, we’re taking a closer look at the fundamental principle of voluntary service. This principle is very basic, but it has a huge impact on the Red Cross and Red Crescent, because there is no way we could do the work that we do without our volunteers. 

Sometimes first aid means checking an unresponsive patient’s airway, breathing and circulation. Sometimes it means recognizing the symptoms that could lead to self harm, or supporting someone through a panic attack.
“We always say if someone is hurt, we can help them,” says Diane Story, who has been a first aid educator at the Red Cross for almost 40 years, adding that this doesn’t always mean physically. “Sometimes they are hurt in a different way.”

The two interlacing hearts etched onto a medal awarded to four Canadian Red Cross volunteers are meant to evoke caring and generosity. And they are qualities that volunteers Robert Chochinov, Dixie Lea Fenwick, Paula Green and Robert Thomas Hamson have demonstrated time and again throughout their careers with the organization.

Doris and her husband live in Pokemouche, New Brunswick. They were without power for 12 days before coming to the Red Cross warming centre in Tracadie-Sheila to find out what could be done. 

When they arrived, Doris and her husband met Red Cross volunteer Michelle Gauthier, who gave them a friendly and comforting welcome.

If you’ve decided to give some of your free time volunteering, and are now wondering how to get involved, here is some information on what’s involved in volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross.
First of all, kudos to you! Volunteering is a great opportunity to give back to your community, and the benefits of voluntarism extend beyond building your skillset, meeting new people or learning something new, it is also proved to help you live longer!

​It was love at first sight for Canadian Red Cross volunteer Georges Yaacoub who met his wife at a Red Cross Valentine’s Day party in his birthplace of Zahlé, Lebanon. Born into a benevolent Lebanese family, Georges spent his childhood surrounded by humanitarians.
Immigrating to Canada in 2010, Georges settled in Nova Scotia. He sat down recently to share his incredible journey from hometown to Halifax and his love for all things Red Cross.

It’s easy to see that red is Joy Geizer’s favourite colour. Her winter coat is red. Her car is red. All her Christmas ornaments are red. A disaster management volunteer for seven years, Joy stopped by the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Red Cross office to talk about her passion for helping others while balancing her life as a full-time working mom in the health industry.