Julie Creek became an American Red Cross volunteer in June 2020. Since then, she has gone on to not only serve her neighbors of the Central Valley community, but hundreds across the West Coast as well.
“I joined the Red Cross because I was looking for a way to serve the community and I loved the mission of the Red Cross, which is to relieve human suffering. I’ve had the opportunity to help out in our community with the Creek Fire and in other regions of the country” says Julie. In 2020, Julie helped in three back-to-back disasters including the August 2020 Wildfires in Northern California, the Creek Fire in September, then the Oregon fires in October.
Her heart for others shows when she says, “my favorite part of being in the Red Cross is meeting people from all walks of life and working with people who are encouraging, positive and supportive. There is no judgment in the Red Cross and all are welcome. I joined the Red Cross because I wanted to help others but I didn’t realize that the people I helped would touch my life as well.”
When asked about Julie, her volunteer supervisor Jesse Sandoval, Disaster Program Manager of Fresno County, shared, “Julie came to the Red Cross with the enthusiasm and spirit we seek in a volunteer. After the Creek fire, she told me she wanted to keep learning and keep helping. That’s exactly what she did. She worked her way up to being our Operations Lead in Fresno County. She has taken the lead on numerous apartment fires by preparing shelter teams and monitoring the flow of Temporary Evacuation Points. Her logical thinking alleviates the stress of the team because they know they can fully trust someone like Julie to lead our mission, no matter the size of a fire!”
Pictured here: Julie packing snack bags to go to evacuees of the 2020 August Lightning Complex fires in Northern California.
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As long as emergencies exists, Red Cross volunteers ensure people never face them alone. Bring hope to those in need and apply today at redcross.org/volunteertoday
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