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Content note: This story contains discussions on domestic violence that may be upsetting to some.
Elizabeth (not her real name) is a survivor. Of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. By her former boyfriend. It’s people in situations like Elizabeth’s that “Violence Prevention Avalon East” in Newfoundland and Labrador is trying to reach. An alliance of community and government agencies, it is dedicated to ending violence in homes and communities.

Jamie recently shared a post on her social media about taking our psychological first aid course and how much it helped her, especially with her own mental health. We asked her if she would share her story with us (and you) to hopefully help others, and this is what she wrote.

As kids adapted to the new virtual ‘classroom,’ a Zoom visit by Red Cross Ambassador, Saskatchewan Roughrider Dan Clark, was a welcome chance to chat about dealing with stress for a group of Yorkton, SK students.

Like many others, when Sunny Sun came to Canada from China, her elderly parents followed. They didn’t speak any English and were not familiar with the culture. It was understandably a difficult transition for them.

With the Red Cross for over a dozen years, I have been deployed to the scene of unimaginable emergencies many times, including the Lac-Mégantic railway tragedy, the Fort McMurray wildfire, the recent floods in Eastern Canada and to Montreal to welcome many Syrian refugees. Unfortunately, I understand too well the plight of people confronted with extraordinary situations.

When provincial officials first declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19, it was a bit of a blur for me. I had just lost my grandmother and was still working through my thoughts. I felt confused and scared. I had a dozen sleepless nights from being fixated on the news.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Red Cross volunteers are working in local communities to assist the most vulnerable populations.
Volunteers such as Luc and Adele are administering door-to-door Safety and Wellness checks in Ottawa.

I saw many friends try their hand at painting, spruce up their gardens, and even build a homemade app to plan meals for isolation when constant trips to the market weren’t possible. We created something important to us, and we shared in the feeling of how much our mood and quality of life had improved while working on these “new-to-us” projects!