Sue Belleville, local Disaster Management Volunteer with The Red Cross
Every three hours in Canada, the Canadian Red Cross is there to respond to disasters big and small.
During the past week, Red Cross volunteers in London were called out to help local residents impacted by the serious flooding across the city. Red Cross volunteers in Ontario responded to 700 emergencies in the province and assisted 6,000 people during last year.
Sue Belleville has been volunteering in Disaster Management with the Red Cross for over 3 years, she says emergency kit is very important, “you will feel much more comfortable and at ease if you at least have that, it’s much harder if you have absolutely nothing, it’s good to be able to know that you are prepared and you are one step ahead.”
Their volunteers assisted four individuals during the past week. She says, “they are so appreciative, they don’t expect they would leave their homes… so when we come they realize that they at least have a place to stay and food and they can make arrangements later.”
“It (our volunteer group) is a big range so you have people who are working full-time, retired or at home, the Red Cross provides the training that we need, and then you pick the shifts that you are available,” says Sue Belleville.
She also said the most important thing she learned volunteering for the past years is that don’t take things for granted, and people don’t think personal disasters will happen, it can happen in your city or neighborhood so it is vital to be prepared.
For more detailed information, you can visit redcross.ca
