“During times of crisis, if you feel scared, look for the helpers because there are always people trying to make it better,” says university student and Canadian Red Cross staff member, Josh Windsor, reciting Fred Rogers.
Making a conscious decision to give back and help others is something all of us are capable of, and in 2018, almost 12.7 million Canadians engaged in formal volunteering with charities, non-profits, and community organizations across the country. But for many, there needs to be a reason to step forward.
Raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Windsor’s path to volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross for two years led him to his current role as an emergency management program assistant. When he was in high school, he says he didn’t have that sense of humanity that drives people to get out there and volunteer.
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Every day, people in crisis need help here in Canada and around the world. But this is something often overlooked by many as work schedules and busy routines prevail.
What we often don’t consider is who is carrying out this critical work, volunteering their time to be that someone and provide unwavering support to local and international communities when they need it most. In Edmonton, Reshma Sirajee is one of these people.
At just 24, the graduate student, who is studying HIV in the pediatric population, dedicates her free time to helping others by volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross. She was recently featured in the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s Top 30 Under 30, and moments into our conversation, her compassion for others shined through.
Three doctors in Muskoka have been honoured for exceptional service.
Dr. Roy Kirkpatrick and Dr. Malcolm Wilson of Huntsville, and Dr. Michael Mason of Bracebridge have each been awarded by different organizations.
Dr. Kirkpatrick, Huntsville General Surgeon, was awarded the Rural Specialist Merit Award by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. The award recognizes the long-term commitment of medical specialists who live and work in rural Canada.
“Members of the Society of Rural Physicians, in my view, are special people, because they have to provide top quality service to people in outlying areas, where they don’t have access to all of the infrastructure that somebody in downtown Toronto might have,” says Kirkpatrick. “So when a group of people like that recognizes you, that’s something you can sort of sit back and be very proud of.”