Red Cross Central California Blog
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
In the aftermath of the Erskine Fire, Edythe Catalano was one of the hundreds of people assisted by the Red Cross after having to evacuate her home. When the fire initially broke out it quickly spread and consumed dozens of homes in its path. Catalano’s South Lake home was one of hundreds endangered by the … Continue reading Edythe’s Story
The Erskine Fire began of the afternoon of Thursday, June 23, 2016, evacuating thousands of Kern River Valley residents and destroying more than 280 homes. While the Red Cross was providing relief and comfort to the impacted families on Friday, July 1, the Deer Fire broke out in Bear Valley Springs, near the mountain town … Continue reading Local Red Cross Responds to Multiple Fires in Kern County
An ideal Father’s Day for John Parsons would usually be sleeping in and reading the newspaper. But on this Father’s Day, John and many more volunteers like him, are instead giving their time to volunteer on the American Red Cross Sherpa Fire response in Santa Barbara County. The father to three children and three … Continue reading Fire on Father’s Day: Dads Volunteer for Sherpa Fire Response
Central California volunteer and registered nurse Eleanor Guzik has devoted over 4,000 hours since 2012 to serving others through the American Red Cross. On March 9, 2016 Guzik was honored with the Ann Magnussen award, the highest honor of individual nursing achievement in the American Red Cross. From disasters to teaching other volunteers, Guzik has … Continue reading Local Volunteer Honored with National Nursing Award
Several southern states have been hit with severe storms this month, and Red Crossers from around the nation are coming together to provide relief for thousands of residents affected by flooding and tornadoes. So far seven local volunteers from the Central California Region have been deployed to help. These are some of the stories of … Continue reading Images from the Field: Southern Flooding
Winter storms and El Niño conditions have certainly arrived, bringing with it dangerous flooding, blizzards, tornadoes, and mudslides. The stormy conditions have kept Red Cross volunteers busy across the nation as they work to provide safety and comfort to thousands of families. Here on the west coast, teams have opened shelters in San Diego, Silverado … Continue reading Red Cross Helps Flooded Communities Across California and the Nation
Close your eyes and image… It’s a cold winter night with temperatures dropping below freezing. You and your family are huddled together for warmth along with hundreds of other refugees. Outside you can hear the buzzing of disaster responders working feverishly to secure the area. Other families are sharing an open flame out on the … Continue reading Giving with Meaning on Giving Tuesday
Thank you to Dr. Jamie D. Aten, Founder and Co-Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois for the following guest post. There was a lot of fanfare leading up to Stephen Colbert’s September debut on the Late Show. However, it seems like a whole lot less people were aware of another … Continue reading Colbert Ready
Red Crossers here at home and around the nation have been responding to violent flooding, fires, and other natural disasters all Summer long. In our Central California Region alone, we've responded to nearly a dozen wildfires in the last three weeks. If you live in the heart of a major city, you may never experience … Continue reading Disaster On A Dollar: The Dollar Store Emergency Kit Challenge!
One of my favorite past times is binge-watching Netflix. I remember a few years ago I watched a movie that had me bawling in tears. No, it wasn’t Titanic or Steel Magnolias (although I do make sure I have a box of tissues with me whenever I watch these films). It was a documentary called … Continue reading Pets Are Family Too: Preparing Everyone for Disaster
Red Cross Central California Blog 