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 As Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the Red Cross put out an urgent appeal for volunteers. For Jennie and David Risard, this was a call to action. “I heard on the radio that there was a training class for volunteers,” recalls Jennie. “I had heard … Continue reading Spreading Love Everywhere They Go
It was a frightening night for the Gonzalez family. Torrential rains and high winds pummeled their car, making it difficult to see through the windshield even with the wipers on high. Forced from their home by the storm, they drove through the night, eventually making their way to the safety of a Red Cross shelter. … Continue reading Finding Comfort in the Storm
The Santa Paula High School “girl’s gym” built in the 1930's was more than just a historical building - it was filled with memories shared by so many in the community. Generations of students, some of whom now work at the school, shared what that building meant to them from attending prom to practicing with the … Continue reading Santa Paula High School Fire Impacts Nearby Residents
By Christin Newlon, Red Cross Volunteer Red Cross Volunteer, Miller Newlon, is a long way from his Paso Robles home. Having served in health services during Hurricane Katrina, Miller was eager to volunteer again with the American Red Cross upon his retirement. Seventeen years later, he is in Fort Myers, Florida as a Disaster Health Services … Continue reading The Client High Five
By Taylor Poisall, Red Cross Communications Karrín Pachecho is no stranger to evacuating. On Wednesday, September 7, the North Fork resident was outside working in the yard when she heard planes flying overhead. "That's when I saw the flames. They were a rock-throwing distance away." "I thought I would do things differently this time. But … Continue reading “The Red Cross is #1 in My Book”
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
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
by Dave Wagner, Public Affairs Volunteer The Miwok have inhabited the Sierra Nevada mountains in and around Yosemite National Park for thousands of years. George Leroy Williams, Sr. lives with his family in the Bootjack neighborhood just south of the Park. I found Williams, a self-described spiritual leader of the Wilton Rancheria Tribe of Miwoks, … Continue reading Finding Shelter, Each In Their Own Way
Meet Taylor, the youngest helper at the American Red Cross shelter at Mariposa Elementary School. The ten-year-old from Oregon was in Mariposa County visiting her grandparents when they were evacuated by the Oak Fire late Friday night. “This was my first time evacuating in my whole entire ten years,” Taylor explained. She collected her suitcase … Continue reading People of All Ages Can Make a Difference, Even Ten Year Olds Like Taylor
"We can't thank you enough"Clare Drake The Washburn Fire was not originally included in the Drake family's travel itinerary when they began their once-in-a-lifetime trip across the pond from Portsmouth, London. Soon after they checked in to their hotel in Yosemite, their plans quickly changed once the Wawona area was quickly evacuated by a historic … Continue reading A Trip of a Lifetime: American Red Cross Volunteers Help UK Family Displaced by Washburn Fire
Red Cross Central California Blog 