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 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
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
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
By Cindy Huge, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer Retirement brought a new challenge for Jim Hankinson in the form of what to do with his time. After much reflection which included thinking back to his time as a youth and his parents stressing the importance of helping others, Jim began the journey of finding a … Continue reading Turning Compassion Into Action – Meet Jim Hankinson
By Dan Santos, American Red Cross Volunteer Bill Dutton started his career with the American Red Cross in 1970. In his 52 years with the Red Cross, Bill Dutton has seen many changes, except for one thing: “The mission to help others in need is still there. That’s what has kept me inspired.” During his … Continue reading Bill Dutton: 52 years and counting, still inspired by the Red Cross mission
Did you know home fires are the most common disaster in this country? Home fires are the most common disaster in this country and are so dangerous that they claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined. Tragically, seven lives are lost each day in the U.S. to home fires. To … Continue reading Sound the Alarm to Save Lives: A Campaign to End Home Fires
By Dan Santos, American Red Cross Volunteer Now and then, Red Cross volunteers take an indirect path to helping others in need. Bill Beebe was thirsty. He was in Florida in 2020 for his grandmother's funeral. "I went to the store and there was a display next to the 12-packs of Mountain Dew for Team … Continue reading Why I Volunteer: ‘It woke something up in me’
Happy Valentine’s Day! We're celebrating love at the American Red Cross by sharing stories of amazing couples throughout our region who spend some of their quality time together volunteering for Red Cross. Meet some of our volunteer couples and learn about their love for the Red Cross! Meet Isabel Bravo and Jose Perez! For one … Continue reading Sharing the love this Valentine’s Day
By Abby Oldemeyer, Public Affairs Volunteer Like many people that find their way to the American Red Cross, Shirley Bahr started searching for a way to give back to her community after she retired. Having already seen the positive impact the Red Cross had within her own community, she applied and began volunteering in 2017. … Continue reading Why I Serve: Meet Shirley Bahr
Cynthia Fisher, middle, with Ashley Bonnoit, left, and Jennifer Samaritan at the French fire in August 2021. By Dan Santos Most people try to avoid the scene of a disaster. Cynthia Fisher — like many American Red Cross volunteers — sees an opportunity to provide safe shelter, food, and comfort to the victims. “I’m living my best life when I can help somebody get their life … Continue reading Why I Volunteer: Helping Others, ‘It’s a Beautiful Thing’
Red Cross Central California Blog 