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.
by Dave Wagner, Public Affairs Volunteer “I’m mostly a mountain biker, so I rode my first Ride for the Red on a mountain bike. It was a tough 30 miles,” quipped Andrew Bonica, “but I’m a Marine and I don’t quit.” A lot has changed in Bonica’s life since that first ride in 2016. He … Continue reading Why I Ride – Focus and Commitment
By Dan Santos, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer In 1979, Madeleine Dircks was just out of high school in Southern California and the song “In the Navy” by the Village People seemed to be on the radio all the time. “The boys on the Village People had the cutest outfits,” Dircks recalled. “It sounds kind of silly, but … Continue reading Service to the Armed Forces: Volunteer Madeleine Dircks
By Lucca Lorenzi, Public Affairs Volunteer Mary Bastos has served the Central California Red Cross Region for over four years, but her propensity to help others began long before she became a Red Cross volunteer. At a young age, Bastos’ parents instilled in her the importance of dedicating their time to helping others; her father … Continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Mary Bastos
Submitted by Sara Bloom, Sheltering Volunteer during the Creek Fire in Central California. “Cards are my thing, I enjoy making and sending them out to friends and family, and with the pandemic, I finally ended up with more time to make them. The 'hug' card I made last year was a design I had made … Continue reading A Little Goes a Long Way
By Lori Wilson, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Central Valley Chapter It is hard to believe that we are already looking at the 1-year anniversary of the Creek Fire. At the time it was the single largest wildfire in California history, a record for only a short time— now broken by the Dixie … Continue reading Red Cross commemorates the 1-year anniversary of the Creek Fire
By Cindy Huge, Red Cross Public Affairs Every eight minutes the American Red Cross responds to emergencies both locally and nationally. On August 18, 2021, the American Red Cross of Kern County and Eastern Sierra Chapter was activated to help shelter residents evacuated from the French Fire. Volunteers and staff set up a shelter at … Continue reading Turning Heartbreak into Hope
Story by Cindy Huge, Public Affairs Volunteer Rarely do I cry when interviewing an evacuated resident, but today I found myself shedding a few tears. Life recently for Nina Baetz has been very difficult. Her daughter, who was terminally ill, passed away just a few days prior to the mandatory evacuation orders for the fast-moving … Continue reading Life’s Most Difficult Season
by Cindy Huge, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer Dwayne Levingston has been serving with the Victims Chaplain Association for the past 10 years. One of the many hats he wears is to provide a portable shower unit to residents affected by disasters such as wildfires and earthquakes. When Victims Chaplain Association received word from the local Red Cross that their shower unit was … Continue reading Community Partners in Action
by Cindy Huge, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer Margie Manning knows firsthand the devastation a wildfire can bring. In 2016, the Erskine Fire swept through the neighborhood where Manning and her husband lived. They quickly evacuated with their pets and sought shelter with the American Red Cross. “There were several hundred people in the shelter and even … Continue reading Caring for People and Communities
by Dave Wagner, Public Affairs Volunteer - Photos by Scott Dalton, Red Cross “My husband was at work when the first warnings came in,” explained Michelle Scott. She frantically began to pack the bare necessities as the fast-moving Dixie Fire bore down on her home in Lake Almanor. She gave her son, nine-year-old Gavin, a … Continue reading Tears Are Contagious
Red Cross Central California Blog 