Canadian Red Cross facts for kids
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Croix-Rouge canadienne
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| Founded | 1896 |
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| Type | Charitable organization |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario |
| The Governor General of Canada | |
The Canadian Red Cross Society (in French, La Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge) is a Canadian group that helps people. It is one of 192 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world. This organization gets money from both private donations and the Canadian government.
The Canadian Red Cross teaches volunteers how to respond to emergencies and disasters. They also offer services to prevent injuries, like safety tips for outdoor activities and first aid training. Through its global network, the Red Cross helps people in need. This includes victims of wars and communities damaged by disasters.
The current leader of the Canadian Red Cross is Conrad Sauvé.
History
The Canadian Red Cross started in 1896. It was connected to the British Red Cross Society. George Ryerson, who had started Canada's St. John Ambulance Association in 1895, helped create it. In 1909, a law called the Canadian Red Cross Society Act made the Red Cross an official group in Canada. This law gave them the job of providing volunteer help, following rules from the Geneva Conventions.
The first time the Canadian Red Cross helped internationally was during the Boer War. They treated sick and wounded people in South Africa.
After World War I ended in 1918, the Society began training nurses for public health. The Wilberforce Red Cross Outpost was set up in 1922. A special program for kids, called the Junior Red Cross, started in schools across Canada. It taught children about healthy living.
For many years, the Canadian Red Cross collected human blood from donors for medical use. In 1998, the Society stopped providing this service.
The Canadian Red Cross celebrated its 100th birthday in May 2009. In 2017, the Red Cross helped people seeking safety who crossed the border into Canada from the United States. They provided food, shelter, and medicine.
Programs in Canada
Emergencies and Disasters
The Canadian Red Cross helps Canadians when they face an emergency or disaster. The organization works with governments, first responders, and other groups. They help people with basic needs like finding a place to stay, food, clothing, and personal support. This can include first aid or temporary care for children or older people.
In February 2022, the Canadian Red Cross started a program to help people recover from floods and bad weather in British Columbia. These events happened in November 2021. The organization gave money to families to help them find temporary housing and meet their basic needs.
Community Health Services
Community Support Services
The Canadian Red Cross offers many services to help older adults, vulnerable people, and their caregivers. These programs aim to help people live well, stay independent, and be active in their communities. Some services include:
- Programs that help with food, like Meals on Wheels.
- Programs that help people connect with others.
- Assisted living in special housing.
- Safety programs.
- Transportation help.
The types of programs available can vary by location. The Red Cross also helps people experiencing homelessness during extreme weather.
Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP)
This program lends health equipment to people who are sick or injured. It helps them return home from the hospital sooner or live more independently. This program is available in British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Yukon.
They can provide equipment like:
- Wheelchairs
- Walkers
- Bath seats and benches
- Crutches and canes
- Other medical equipment
The program gets money from donations. It also uses donated medical equipment, which helps keep items out of landfills. Volunteers and health authorities help run the program.
Home Care Services
The Canadian Red Cross offers personal support and help with home tasks. This helps seniors and people recovering from illness or injury live independently. These services include:
- Personal care.
- Help with managing the home.
- Care for caregivers and companionship.
Home care services are available in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario.
Migrant and Refugee Services
Since 1999, the Canadian Red Cross has checked on detention centers where immigrants are held. They do this to make sure people are treated kindly and their human rights are respected. As of 2014, they visit federal immigration centers and some provincial jails in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba.
Safety, First Aid, and CPR
The Canadian Red Cross trains people to handle emergencies at home and at work. They have offered first aid and CPR training to Canadians for over 50 years. Each year, about 600,000 Canadians learn these important skills.
In 1946, the Red Cross started its Swimming and Water Safety programs. This was because many people drowned in Canada in the 1940s. Since then, more than 30 million Canadians have learned to swim and stay safe around water. The swimming program ended in 2022. This allowed the Red Cross to focus more on humanitarian efforts. The swimming operations were transferred to the Lifesaving Society.
In 2012, the Canadian Red Cross and Lifesaving Society worked with the Public Health Agency of Canada. They launched the Open Water Wisdom program. This program teaches about water safety across Canada, including in remote communities.
International Programs
Emergencies and Disasters
The Canadian Red Cross provides healthcare, relief supplies, water, and shelter to communities affected by conflicts, disasters, and health emergencies around the world. Their international programs support large-scale humanitarian aid efforts in communities.
International Development
The Canadian Red Cross has long-term development programs. These programs are in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
The Canadian Red Cross supports health programs in communities. These programs help prevent illnesses in mothers and children. This includes diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition. They focus on remote areas or places where health services have been damaged. They also teach about:
- Reproduction and newborn care.
- Breastfeeding and nutrition for young children.
- Hygiene and sanitation.
- Ways to get clean drinking water.
See also
- Canadian Blood Services
- List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
- List of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- Monument to Canadian Aid Workers
- Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada
