The Editor,
What does the money raised by United Way Estevan provide for the Canadian Red Cross?
The Canadian Red Cross is very fortunate to be one of the member agencies of United Way Estevan. The United Way is our main partner of all the partnerships we hold in the city of Estevan. The funding that we receive goes to help us maintain all of the programs and services that we administer in the City of Estevan.
We continue to deliver and promote through our RespectEd program, school based curriculum programs, which include bullying awareness and prevention to help our children come to school in a safe and caring environment. We also promote and make available the healthy dating relationship and abuse awareness for the younger grades. Health and Safety education is delivered through those who teach the babysitting course, water safety and first aid and CPR training.
The schools are also made aware of the Piece by Peace curriculum which they have access to through our website, where they can download and use the materials through the year. Students and teachers explore global peace issues and are encouraged to take what they learn and use it in their own community to promote peace and caring.
The money that we receive also goes to help in the administration of the local Leisure Centre pool. Helping to administer swim programs through the schools, lifeguarding, which is now available through the Red Cross so that we can maintain quality water safety at the local pool.
We have a Disaster Management program which the funding helps with. We can train volunteers to keep up to date with helping people through disasters. Whether that is a house fire, flooding or train derailments, or any other major event. We then move from relief to recovery. The Canadian Red cross offers 72 hours of emergency assistance to those affected by disaster. Without the support of the United Way, this would not be possible. There have been a great number of people who have been helped in the Estevan area through this program. We work with the business community through vendor agreements which allows the people to keep the money in Estevan and helps the business community when disaster strikes. The funding through United Way goes in to help with the training of volunteers through various courses, most of which are now on-line.
Lastly a portion of the funds does go towards the paying of a staff member to help co-ordinate and administer the programs in the area, through the Community Outreach Coordinator position. Without this funding, this position would not be available and your nearest individual would come out of the Regina office. This funding helps us keep a local individual to stay in contact with the community through partnerships and relationships which are invaluable to both the Red cross and the community.
Thank you once again United Way for your support of Red Cross as a member agency.
George Barker,
Community outreach co-ordinator
Red Cross Saskatchewan
