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Tag: Shelter

COVID-19 Response 2020

COVID-19 Response 2020

GlobalMedic is responding to needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe in order to control this virus, it is extremely important for all of our local agencies (public and private) to work together to ensure the health and safety of our citizens, and we are doing our part in this ever-changing situation.

We are carrying out a series of programs designed to assist institutions and people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Critical Infrastructure Program

The healthcare system inundated with people affected by COVID-19. We have offered hospitals critical infrastructure tents that they can use for patient triage, dedicated testing spaces, or any other need that arises.  

Many food banks have been forced to close their doors to patrons to help reduce the spread of the virus. However the need for services food banks provide has not diminished. We have offered our tents to food banks in an effort to reduce the number of people in buildings and provide a dedicated area for people to access much needed resources.

We have also been setting up temporary tenting in partnership with Toronto Community Housing to run flu shot clinics as well as pop-up COVID-19 testing sites.

Aerial view of a crowd standing in front of critical infrastructure tenting at Etobicoke General Hospital
Tenting set up at Etobicoke General Hospital
Aerial view of military tent set up in a parking lot
Critical Infrastructure tenting set up at Daily Bread Food Bank

Impact: We have set up critical infrastructure tents at Daily Bread Food Bank, North York Harvest Food Bank, Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital, the House of Friendship and the Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Health Care


Hygiene and Family Kit Distribution

GlobalMedic has a longstanding partnership with Procter & Gamble. Our volunteers construct hygiene kits using P&G products and distribute them to food banks, shelters, and similar institutions across the country. Each kit contains full size hygiene items like shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste. We have ramped up our production to ensure the most vulnerable continue to have access to these essential needs in this uncertain time.

Bars of soap from Clean the World are also being given out to similar institutions to ensure everyone is able to properly wash their hands.

Similar to the hygiene kits, we have also been distributing family kits to food banks and shelters. These kits contain similar hygiene items, but also include cleaning supplies and laundry detergent and are designed to serve a family rather than an individual.

We are providing Thank You Kits to front-line workers in hospitals, senior services and long term care facilities across Canada. The kits include hygiene items for showering after work to help keep the workers safe and healthy. With these kits, we want to say thank you to the staff who are working incredibly hard to care for some of our most vulnerable community members.

In collaboration with local fire departments, we are handing out COVID Safety Kits containing soap and face masks. As the kits are handed out, fire fighters are also promoting the 3 P’s of COVID-19 safety.

people holding hygiene kits and standing in front of boxes
Hygiene Kits delivered to Women’s Centre of Calgary
A man and a woman standing in front of a car holding boxes of soap
GlobalMedic handing off bar soap to Street Health
Thank You Kits delivered to Grand River Hospital

Impact: We have provided 41,216 hygiene kits, 2,614 family kits, 1,082 clean up kits and 47,496 bars of soap to community organizations like Woodgreen Community Services, Street Health Toronto and Blue Door Shelter. We have also delivered 36,325 Thank You Kits to front-line workers and 15,905 COVID Safety Kits.


Emergency Food Distribution

As many food banks are beginning to face food shortages, we are responding by re-packaging staple foods purchased in bulk into 500g bags ready for use. The staple foods include green peas, pearled barley, red lentils, rice, chickpeas, green lentils and kidney beans.

We are also working with Hand Up Toronto, to supply food to families who are newly food insecure and may not know how to engage with the food bank system through our Feed the Six hamper program. These hampers are delivered through contactless drop-offs or drive through pick ups.

In addition, we have also been ordering food directly from the supplier and having it delivered to food banks. This cuts down on waiting time, and saves food banks the cost of buying the food themselves.

Rows of bags filled with green lentils
Green lentils packed for distribution
A man standing behind two pallets of dried foods
Bulk food delivery to Daily Bread Food Bank

Impact: We have provided over 229,298 kg of dried food staples, 24,000 cans of soup and 50,000 eggs to organizations including the Daily Bread Food Bank, North York Harvest Food Bank and Muslim Welfare Centre. We have also distributed 15,295 food hampers containing items like dry goods, pasta and potatoes through our Feed the Six Kits, as well as 19,421 hampers through our partnership with North York Harvest. Finally, we distributed $50,000 of grocery store gift cards.


Hand Sanitizer Program

With many local distilleries closed to the public, some have shifted their production method to begin producing hand sanitizer. The sanitizer has been approved by Health Canada and it ready to fill the gap in supply. 

We have partnered with some of these local distilleries and are providing buckets and distribution networks. Together, we are getting hand sanitizer to food banks, shelters, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where it is critical.

We are also working to deliver hand sanitizer to First Nations communities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these vulnerable populations.

Two men filling buckets with hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer production at Last Straw Distillery

Impact: In partnership with Willibald Farm Distillery, Last Straw Distillery, and Murphy’s Law Distillery we have distributed 1,760L of sanitizer to healthcare institutions and 7,500L of sanitizer to First Nations communities.


Cash Assistance Program

So many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet due to job losses as a direct result of COVID-19.  We initiated a cash transfer program to help supplement the finances of families that have been affected. Participants were referred through partner food banks and children’s breakfast club programs, and were interviewed before receiving the transfer.

“Thank you for giving us the ability to buy groceries and pay rent”

Cash Transfer Recipient

Impact: 198 families have received $500 cash transfers.


Kits for First Nations Communities

Many First Nations Communities have been feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With their locations often remote, access to items like food, hygiene supplies, and personal protective equipment is difficult and costly.

GlobalMedic and Hydro One have partnered to produce and distribute 13,520 kits for First Nations communities across Ontario. These kits include dried foods like rice, lentils, pasta and more, as well as soap, a solar light, and reusable masks.

The kits can support a family for several weeks, and provides them with important resources to keep them safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kit for First Nations families
Contents of a kit
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Please note that GlobalMedic is taking every precaution to protect its staff and volunteers during this outbreak, including enhanced hygiene practices, and ensuring physical distancing guidelines are followed.

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Posted in ResponsesTagged COVID-19, feed-the-six, Food, hygiene, Shelter1 Comment on COVID-19 Response 2020

Hurricane Dorian: One Year Later, Where Are We Now?

Hurricane Dorian: One Year Later, Where Are We Now?

On September 4th 2019, what started as a large tropical storm had grown into a historic and monstrous Category 5 Hurricane, named Dorian, made land contact, flattening large areas of the Bahamas and impacted communities as far north as Nova Scotia.

While it has been a year, and most of the world has moved on and forgotten, recovery efforts are ongoing. At the six month mark, in March 2020, recovery efforts were just as strong as they had been on Day 1 and things were slowly improving – especially with tourism picking up slowly, given that is the main stimulant for the local economy. But then COVID-19 hit and tourism was shut down again, and things took a turn for the worse like they did around the world. The only difference here is that they are still trying to recover from the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Dorian and manage the effects of the global pandemic at the same time.

The damages in the Bahamas is estimated at $3.4 billion. The storm damaged infrastructure and caused massive flooding on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. 43 people were killed and over 76,000 people were affected by the storm. With the damage so extensive, people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of clean water, food and shelter items. GlobalMedic was swift to respond.

Safe water is needed for everything, from drinking to cooking, bathing to healthcare. To address the fact that water was no longer safe to use following storm surges, GlobalMedic immediately deployed our Rapid Response Team with water purification units and the RescUAV Team with drones to provide on the ground assistance. We were able to distribute the following aid to communities in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Nassau:

  • 6 large-scale water purification systems
  • 4,700+ Family Emergency Kits which contain a household water purification solution, essential hygiene items, oral rehydration salts and solar lights.
  • 7 large tents that are being used for clinics, storage, animal shelters, and child friendly spaces
  • 300 kg dog food
  • Assorted building materials and tools, cooking items, air mattresses
  • Assisted with installation of solar panel in Sweetings Cay to power an AquaBoy Pro II water system
  • Our RescUAV team has mapped over 4,500 hectares and taken 44,000 pictures in Grand Bahama and over 1,000 hectares and 8,900 images in Abaco which were shared with local officials to help them better assess damage

We also had three main projects on the ground, the first is the Mold Remediation Project. Many houses were filled with water, damaging the drywall and structure of the house, allowing dangerous mold to grow. GlobalMedic supported the creation of the “Mold Busters” consortium, bringing together local entities to streamline the rebuilding process and create jobs. Through this program GlobalMedic was able to fully remediate 180 homes and create more than 45 jobs in our initial program period. This project is still ongoing as the damage was extensive and people still need safe places to live. We are continuing to remediate additional houses in order to get families back in their homes and back to normal life.

The second is the Fishing Boats Project. Fishing is a primary career for many Bahamians and is often the only source of income for families in the eastern region of the island. With the destruction of infrastructure on the island so severe, many could not afford to repair the boats as well as their homes. GlobalMedic hired a local contractor to provide boat repair for these fishermen. We provided all the fibreglass and additional materials through a partnership with Composites Canada. A Composites Canada staff member was also sent to Grand Bahama to fully train the local contractor on the use of the materials sent. GlobalMedic fully repaired the hulls of 37 boats and 5 jobs were created during the first program period. This project is also still ongoing as we are working to ensure that the local economy is able to continue to thrive as it did before Dorian hit. Local fishermen are still able to bring their boats to be repaired through this program and, with our partners at the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama, we are working to get new engines to these fishermen as well. 

The third is the Emergency Food Project. GlobalMedic initially delivered over 6,600+ Emergency Food Kits filled with staple ingredients for displaced people in the Bahamas. Packing sites were set up locally, being supported by the ones in Canada, and in the first two months packing was happening 7 days a week. People who needed aid were coming out to help as well, grandmothers who were taking care of small kids would come out to pack while the kids stayed on site to help clean up and provide additional support. As Bahamians continue to deal with the effects of Hurricane Dorian as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, we have recently continued our support through this program, sending an additional 2,600 Emergency Food Kits.

GlobalMedic is proud to be able to support these efforts and strive to continue to do more, while keeping an eye on the current hurricane season that we find ourselves in.

Posted in NewsTagged bahamas, Food, Hurricane Dorian, RescUAV, Shelter, water

Syria Conflict Response

Syria Conflict Response

With the war in Syria in its tenth year, the devastation continues. Today, 11.1 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes. There are more than 6 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Syria and 5.5 million refugees in other countries around the world. 2.98 million people are located in hard-to-reach and besieged areas. 9.3 million Syrians are unable to meet their food needs and an additional 2.2 million are at risk of becoming food insecure.

The ongoing conflict continues to force Syrian families to flee their homes. Often leaving at a moment’s notice, these families are unable to pack important materials to support themselves as they move to safer areas. These mobile populations face serious health and safety risks and are in desperate need of humanitarian support.


400,000+ PEOPLE KILLED

11,100,000 NEED SUPPORT

6.7 MILLION IDPs


GlobalMedic has been sending aid to Syria since 2014 and will continue to do so as long as the need exists. Our Water, Food, Medical, and Shelter programs have all been activated for this response.

Our primary focus is ensuring that families have access to clean drinking water and food. We distribute Family Emergency Kits which contain a water purification solution and hygiene items, with additional items like oral rehydration salts, Lucky Iron Fish, whistles and solar lights may also be added.

We also distribute our Emergency Food Kits which have been designed specifically for our Syrian response and are a culturally appropriate and nutritious solution for families.

300,000+ PEOPLE REACHED

A Child walking beside two women toward a group of tents carrying Family Emergency Kits

OVER 44,200 FAMILY EMERGENCY KITS

1,500 HYGIENE KITS

Two children sitting on crumbling stairs with an Emergency Food Kit

MORE THAN 869,400 MEALS, AND 4,100 PANTRY KITS

21,000+ PEOPLE REACHED WITH MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Standing in front of a tent a young girl holds a baby

Posted in ResponsesTagged conflict, Food, medical, Shelter, syria, water

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