National Volunteer Week is the perfect opportunity to thank the people who selflessly rush to help others during disasters and emergencies, assist with prevention and safety initiatives, or provide community health and wellness services. We are so thankful to the thousands of volunteers who make our work possible. We asked a few of our amazing volunteers why they dedicate their time and efforts into helping others and here is what some had to say:
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The image of a group of women heading out to the makeshift camps in Bangladesh, their Red Cross t-shirts visible beneath their lightweight headscarves, remains in the mind of Denyse Bourgault. Bourgault was on the ground in the Cox’s Bazar district as a psychosocial support (PSS) delegate from the Canadian Red Cross to help those who crossed the border fleeing violence in Myanmar.
On a stifling and humid afternoon in November, Julekha ‘Juli’ Akter sat on the floor of a small tent for families in the transit camp for vulnerable people arriving in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in Myanmar. The 18-year-old Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteer held the hand of an elderly woman, never breaking eye contact as the newcomer tearfully explained her journey.
A tiny baby, wrapped tightly in blankets, his face just peeking out, sleeps tucked up against his resting mother, under the watchful eye of his grandmother. It’s a scene that plays out all over the world, but in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh on Nov. 25 this story nearly had a different ending.
For International Women’s Day (March 8), we’re bringing together a collection of stories depicting remarkable women who have made a contribution to Red Cross efforts whether through international aid, volunteering with us or putting our programs, such as bullying and violence prevention, into action.
As the year draws to a close, we wanted to take a look back on stories that inspired us this year. With our year in review, we wanted to highlight those moments of humanity we shared this year. Now as one inspiring collection, here are our top 10 stories from 2017.
For many people in Newfoundland and Labrador, holiday festivities wouldn’t be complete without the centuries-old tradition of mummering — a disguised house visiting and guessing game. Canadian Red Cross staff in St. John's recently got in on the fun too.
In 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia, was a bustling port and major hub for Canada's First World War effort. Its deep and ice-free harbour is closer to Europe than most on the Atlantic coast of North America and tens of thousands of Canadian, other British Empire and American troops and a steady stream of ships loaded with wartime supplies passed through Halifax to or from Europe.
On December 6, the deadliest disaster in Canadian history occurred.