A Family That Prepares Together

It’s important to know that you may have just two minutes to escape a home fire — which is the nation’s most frequent disaster. That’s why the American Red Cross is preparing families to act quickly through our Home Fire Campaign. “We are the leads for the Home Fire Campaign here in Ventura County,” said … Continue reading A Family That Prepares Together

Out of the Ashes, Hope Remains

By Barbara Wood, Red Cross Volunteer The story Aaron and Heather told me last month as they sat outside a Red Cross shelter in Mariposa eating dinner pierced my heart. They and two of their four children had lived for the past year in a very, very special complex, at the top of a dead-end … Continue reading Out of the Ashes, Hope Remains

Why I Volunteer: Meet Lucca Lorenzi

By Lucca Lorenzi, Public Affairs Volunteer In the fall of 2021, my grandmother passed away after years of living with Alzheimer’s. She grew up in Lyon, France during World War II, and her father was taken captive by Nazi soldiers for helping thousands of Jewish citizens flee from the city of Lyon during nazi regime’s … Continue reading Why I Volunteer: Meet Lucca Lorenzi

Mariposa evacuees found it hard to leave the Red Cross shelter 

By Barbara Wood, Red Cross volunteer Phyllis Grin and her grandson spent a week in a Red Cross shelter in Mariposa after they were forced to evacuate by the fast-moving Oak Fire, but she said they found it hard to go home when they were allowed to return. When the evacuation orders for their neighborhood … Continue reading Mariposa evacuees found it hard to leave the Red Cross shelter 

Red Cross Nurses Save the Day 

By Barbara Wood, Red Cross volunteer  Red Cross volunteer nurse, Barbara Pease, of Sunnyvale said she was thrilled when a match between a break in her busy life and the need for help in a disaster allowed her to pitch in after the Oak Fire broke out in Mariposa County on July 22. “I don’t … Continue reading Red Cross Nurses Save the Day 

Why I Volunteer: Meet Ken Jonah

By Lucca Lorenzi, Public Affairs Volunteer Ken Jonah became a member of the Red Cross in March of 2021, but he has been an active volunteer in his communities for over a decade.  In 2010, Jonah began volunteering with his local sheriff's department which led him to eventually become a police commissioner in Danville. Through … Continue reading Why I Volunteer: Meet Ken Jonah

From Blood Donor Ambassador to Youth Board Member: Meet ​Noah Tyler U. Tabbay

By Jasmine Segal, Red Cross Communications Volunteer Noah Tyler U. Tabbay began his American Red Cross journey in 2015 at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. He started by assisting the Red Cross Club as Vice President, then went became an active youth volunteer, aiding the organization with on-campus blood drives. But it doesn't end there. … Continue reading From Blood Donor Ambassador to Youth Board Member: Meet ​Noah Tyler U. Tabbay

Sounding the Alarm in Lompoc

Two minutes may be all the time you have to escape a home fire before it’s too late. That’s why the American Red Cross of the Pacific Coast partnered with Lompoc City Fire Department and Allen Hancock College Fire Cadets on May 7 to Sound the Alarm about home fire safety. The goal of these … Continue reading Sounding the Alarm in Lompoc

Sounding the Alarm in Porterville

Two minutes may be all the time you have to escape a home fire before it’s too late. That’s why the American Red Cross of the Central Valley partnered with Porterville Fire Department and Tulare County Fire Department on April 30 to Sound the Alarm about home fire safety. The goal of these events are … Continue reading Sounding the Alarm in Porterville

Providing Safety, Comfort and Hope

by Dave Wagner, Public Affairs Volunteer At 5:22 am on a Friday morning in mid-April, the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) was notified that the Oxnard Fire Department was battling a structure fire in a large house on the edge of town. Within minutes, volunteer Thomas Gorden, the Dispatcher/Duty Officer, had two members of … Continue reading Providing Safety, Comfort and Hope