Questions and Answers
Can I volunteer to go and help?
Thank you for your interest in helping with this disaster.
The Red Cross is not seeking volunteers to travel to the affected areas. Because of the level of expertise required in a disaster of this scope, we can send only highly-trained and very experienced Red Cross disaster workers, also known as delegates. These individuals are being drawn and deployed from our existing pool of delegates.
As always, if you are interested in becoming an international delegate, you can apply to your local Red Cross office and follow the required interview and training processes.
Local volunteers may be needed in your area.
The incredible response to this tragedy has required a mobilization of volunteers to help their local Red Cross offices with a wide variety of tasks, from answering phones to helping with logistics to writing receipts.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross you can pick up an application at your local office. After you have completed and signed the Volunteer Application, please send it via mail or drop it off at your local branch.
Thanks again for your interest in offering volunteer support to the Canadian Red Cross!
Can the Red Cross help me adopt an orphan from the area?
The Red Cross does not help Canadian families to adopt children affected by disaster. All such requests should go through Immigration Canada or local agencies that deal in international adoptions.
As one of its roles internationally, the Red Cross strives to reunite loved ones separated by disaster or conflict. The Restoring Family Links program is very successful at bringing immediate and even distant family members together.
DONATIONS AND RECEIPTS
The Red Cross appreciates the enormously generous response of Canadians to this appeal. Please be assured that we have tracked donations made through January 11, 2005 to qualify for the Government of Canada matching program.
Because of the high number of donations we have received for this relief effort, receipts are taking significantly longer than normal to be issued. Your tax receipt will reflect the date your donation was made, and we are working as quickly as possible to issue these. Your patience is appreciated.
Why haven’t I received a receipt for my donation?
Canadian Red Cross received more than a million separate donations in just a few weeks – a volume we normally process in the course of a year. Despite steps to expedite processing – including the assistance of hundreds of dedicated volunteers and staff, it will take longer than normal to issue tax receipts. We are working as quickly as possible, and are committed to ensuring that all receipts are issued before the filing deadline for 2004 tax returns.
To download your receipt for an online donation, please complete this form.
If you have any questions regarding your tax receipt, please call your local Red Cross Branch or email onlinedonations@redcross.ca.
Why hasn’t my question been answered?
The Red Cross is receiving an unprecedented number of enquiries relating to the tsunami disaster. Teams of staff and volunteers across the country are answering phone calls, emails and letters as quickly as possible. Your patience is appreciated, as it may take several days for a response.
In several cases, the Red Cross response to emails is being screened out by spam blockers on enquirers’ computers. If you did not receive a response, it’s possible your system blocked the response.
