GlobalMedic
35 Coronet Rd M8Z 2L8 Toronto, ON, Canada

Today is World Children's Day! In 2018, we were awarded an International Food Relief Partnership grant. The purpose of the program funded by this grant was to reduce the risk of acute malnutrition in children between the ages of 6 and 36 months in Somalia through preventative nutritional support. After identifying and registering children, they were given a full six month dose of Plumpy’Doz, a supplementary food product that provides essential nutrients necessary to avoid malnutrition in children whose diets are not meeting their caloric needs. During this program, 12,000 children received this nutritional support. We recently received a second grant and we are working to implement the next round of preventative nutritional support.

Today is World Toilet Day! More than half the global population lacks safe sanitation. About 1 in 3 people (2.2 billion people) around the world do not have clean drinking water. The impacts of poor sanitation disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, especially women, children, and people with disabilities. Since the beginning of 2018, we have delivered Family Emergency Kits to 29 countries, including Syria, Yemen, Guatemala, and Mozambique. An FEK always starts with a ‘point of use’ (or household) water purification solution. We then add other items including basic hygiene supplies such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, oral rehydration sachets and a solar light.

Last year there were floods and wildfires that affected large parts of the population in Paraguay. Many of the families affected by these disasters lacked access to clean drinking water and hygiene supplies. We got Family Emergency Kits to these families and we also sent protective firefighting gear to local fire stations. This year, in preparation for more flooding and fires, we sent a container full of Family Emergency Kits with a water purification solution, hygiene items, a solar light and oral rehydration salts to support vulnerable families in Paraguay. We also sent 139 protective firefighting suits donated by Toronto Fire and 20 Canadian Wheelchair Foundation wheelchairs donated by the Knights of Columbus Ontario State Council.

Thank you Air Canada for celebrating Jowett and all the great work he does. He is always ready to step up and help out wherever he is needed and we are proud to have him on our team! Jowett is a Rapid Response Team Lead and coordinates our RescUAV program in B.C. Jowett has deployed with us to Indonesia and Mozambique to provide food and clean water to families affected by disasters. He also deployed to the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian where he stayed for months to help coordinate our ResUAV, food, water, shelter and livelihood programs. Jowett delivered our hygiene kits to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines in B.C. and he is constantly finding new ways to help support his community. Thank you Jowett!

The Philippines has been devastated with 5 tropical storms in a matter of three weeks. Typhoon Goni is being recorded as the strongest typhoon of the year. Over 24 million people have been affected by severe flooding and more than 500,000 people have been displaced. Landslides and power outages are affecting many parts of the country and families have been forced into evacuation centres. We are responding by sending Family Emergency Kits to people affected by typhoons in the Philippines. The Family Emergency Kits will contain a household water purification unit as well as hygiene supplies such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. To donate to the Philippines Typhoon Goni Response, please visit the link in our profile.

We set up a tent for the House of Friendship Emergency Food Hamper Program. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols the number of patrons able to be in their building at one time is limited. As the winter weather approaches, this tent will allow patrons to wait for their turn to enter while staying sheltered from the elements.