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 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
September 10, 2021 The American Red Cross continues to provide help and hope to people facing the difficult task of picking up the pieces after the French Fire. Red Cross teams continue to work closely with local officials to help to assess the damage left behind and make plans for what support families may need. … Continue reading Red Cross Assistance Available at Local Assistance Center for French Fire
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
By Taylor Poisall, American Red Cross Public Affairs Jessica Dotterer has a personality you can't help but be immediately drawn to. She would introduce herself as the unofficial event planner and a member of the welcoming committee at one of our Red Cross shelters for the French Fire. You would never know that she had … Continue reading Meet the Red Cross Shelter’s Honorary Event Planner
by Cindy Huge, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer Sherry Pilion moved from Georgia to California four years ago to care for her aging mother. As they were looking for a home that would accommodate the two of them, a local woman, who recognized how loving and caring Pilion was to her mother, offered them her … Continue reading Can’t See the Forest for the . . . . . . . . . . Smoke
By Taylor Poisall, American Red Cross Public Affairs When you help at a shelter or go on what we at the Red Cross call a “deployment”, there are of number of tugs on your heart strings after each one. Red Crossers often share their mission moments with each other and this one is mine from … Continue reading Tugs on the Heart Strings
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
Red Cross Central California Blog 