Living though an unavoidable disaster can be a stressful ordeal, whether due to a mass flooding or even a hurricane. Your house may be in ruins, all personal items lost, or even separated from loved ones. Picking up the pieces and getting back on your feet is no easy task, but thankfully the Red Cross is ready to help you in your time of need.
I’ve been a volunteer of the Disaster Management department of
Red Cross in Toronto for over a year and it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have even had the pleasure of being a part of. The Red Cross is a global organization that provides immediate help to anybody who needs it regardless of race or social status.
My department assembles likeminded individuals who are ready at a moment’s notice to provide aid to families and individuals in
Toronto or the GTA. They are often stuck by unprecedented and unavoidable disasters that leave them in a state of disarray without the basic needs to function normally in society.
On one of my last services my team was sent to assist a family whose home was destroyed due to a fire the night before. All their clothing and personal belonging were lost, and were
essentially homeless. Luckily they were brought to the attention of the Red Cross, and were set up with lodging accommodations immediately. When meeting them for the first time, I could smell the scent of smoke emanating off their clothing as they literally escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. It was my team’s responsibility to ensure that this family was well taken care of. We distributed new clothing, foot ware, hygiene kits, gift cards and food vouchers to make sure they had regular meals. We even provided means for transportation in the form of TTC tokens.
Most valuable of all we provided a sense of care and commitment to them that was unspoken, we didn’t require any form of compensation or reward, we were only there to provide the means of regaining any semblance of a normal life they once had before their tragic disaster.
I can still remember the flood of emotions that washed over them; Happiness with a sense of relief that someone out there cared enough to see them through hard times. We didn’t just offer a
helping hand; we reinforced the sense of community to our fellow human beings strengthening our humanity as people.
It’s a gratifying feeling to be able to help others when they need it most. The Red Cross makes it mandatory to train their volunteers to obtain the skills required in the direst of circumstances such as first aid. With over 20,000 volunteers coast to coast they are ready to act when a disaster strikes. If this sounds like an organization you’d like to be a part of, the Red Cross has
location in Toronto and is always willing to have another member of the team.
