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.
Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Steve Medina is a Red Cross volunteer serving with the Disaster Action Team, in Mass Care, and recently as a part … Continue reading Join Me to Save Lives
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
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 Linda Demyan, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer What does it take to put on a successful fundraising event AND raise awareness? On November 12th, it took 170 bike riders and 130 volunteers who braved a very cold morning and ended up with an amazing sunny day and $75,000 in donations raised. Participants in the three … Continue reading Stories from Ride for the Red 2022
By Osvaldo Rodriguez I was invited to spend a few hours volunteering on a Saturday morning by my friend Eddie, who is also the Executive Director of the American Red Cross in Kern County, to volunteer for Sound the Alarm. He informed me that the company that I work for, The Wonderful Company, had partnered … Continue reading The Impact of Giving Time
By Cindy Huge, Red Cross Volunteer Life seemed to come to a halt when Cody Blackford heard the news that two of his family members had perished in a house fire. “I remember getting a call from my parents, while I was at work, informing me that my eighteen- and three-year-old nieces had passed away … Continue reading Profoundly Heartbreaking Experience Leads to Heartfelt Volunteerism
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
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
Red Cross Central California Blog 