LOCAL INNISFIL MINISTER RESPONDS TO SARS EMERGENCY

  A Team Leader

Rev. Howard Courtney, Senior Pastor of Innisfil Community Church, and long term volunteer with the Red Cross, was recently deployed by the Canadian Red Cross Society to assist in the SARS Disaster Response.

As a trained member of the Disaster Response Team (DRT), Rev. Courtney has been involved in several area emergency responses. The SARS response is different in that this is believed to be the first officially provincially declared "State of Emergency".

The Red Cross was called in to support the Community Services and Housing Department of the Region of York (as well as others) in the assembly, packaging, distribution and delivery of food, and health kits to person in quarantine.

As Team Leader for the Red Cross effort in the Region of York, Rev. Courtney coordinated the team of volunteers full-time from April 7 to April 11. The more than 380 volunteers involved at that time had covered over 20,000 kilometres and served over 3,000 hours in providing this service.

"Volunteerism in Canada" says Rev. Courtney, "is a vital component of Canadian culture. Not only in this time of disaster, but in the regular life of the country, volunteer efforts of churches, service clubs, and local organizations is absolutely essential for the wholeness of the community. Programs and activities for all ages, be it children or seniors, in times of economic cutbacks can and will only happen as volunteers respond to the needs of the local community."

Rev. Courtney recently received the "Queen's Jubilee Medal" for volunteerism in Canada.

  Transporting SARS Health Kits

  Packaging Sars Health Kits!