Author: American Red Cross California Gold Country Region

~Evacuation orders downgraded, but residents urged to remain vigilant and prepared~

SACRAMENTO – The American Red Cross continues to provide shelter and relief to residents affected by Oroville Dam Spillway evacuations despite Tuesday’s downgrade in evacuation status. Shelters remain open for those heeding current evacuation warnings.

As of Tuesday night, more than 1,500 people remained in 16 Red Cross and community shelters. While the risk has been reduced and many have returned to their homes, the region is expected to see several inches of rain in the next few days. The Red Cross is working closely to government partners and emergency officials to ensure safe shelter and resources remain in place should continued evacuations be necessary.

Those affected by current evacuations may receive services at any of these Red Cross shelter locations:

Silver Dollar Fairgrounds
2357 Fair St.
Chico, CA 95928

Hammon Senior Center
1033 W. Las Palmas
Patterson, CA 95363

California State Fairgrounds – Cal Expo
1600 Expo Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95815

The Red Cross is also supporting multiple community shelters throughout the region by providing cots, blankets, comfort kits, and other resources. More than 250 Red Cross disaster workers are providing shelter, meals and comfort, with more workers and relief supplies on the way to the region to support this massive response.

To find an emergency shelter, visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Those with friends or family may visit Red Cross shelters during the day for information or a hot meal.

GET PREPARED

With the situation still uncertain for many who live in the area surrounding the Oroville Dam, the Red Cross urges everyone to follow any evacuation orders and Be Red Cross Ready – build a kit, make a plan and be informed. Pack your kit in an easy-to-handle container and include the following:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio to stay informed and cell phone with charger
• First aid kit
• Medications – a 7-day supply – and any medical items needed
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items like a toothbrush, soap and shampoo
• Copies of important papers such as deed/lease to your home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, proof of address, medication list
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• A map of the area
• Extra clothing
• Pillows and blankets

More items to consider include medical supplies such as hearing aids, glasses and contact lenses, baby supplies, pet supplies and an extra set of car and house keys. Full information about what to include is available on redcross.org.

Residents are encouraged to keep their car gas tanks full so that in the event of another evacuation, they can quickly get to safety.

People can also download the Red Cross Emergency App to have safety information available on their mobile device, including open shelter locations, emergency weather alerts and flood safety information. Red Cross apps are available in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

HOW TO HELP

Donations: We are thankful to those who would like to donate items for those evacuated, however the Red Cross is not equipped to manage, support, and distribute donated items. Instead, our priority is to get those affected settled at emergency shelters, and to provide supplies to meet immediate needs. Right now, the best way to help is through monetary donations.

Help people affected by disasters like floods and countless other crises by making a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small across the United States. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Volunteer: The Red Cross is always accepting new volunteers who are interested in supporting disaster relief operations or other areas of interest. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to begin an application.

GET CONNECTED

Follow the Red Cross Gold Country Region on social media for the latest information as it becomes available.

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/RCSierraDelta
www.facebook.com/RedCrossNEC

Twitter:
@RedCrossNECal
@RCSierraDelta

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Gold Country Region serves a twenty-four county territory including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/goldcountry or follow us on Twitter @RCSierraDelta.

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~Despite Evacuation Downgrades, Red Cross Shelters Remain Open~

SACRAMENTO – The American Red Cross is continuing to provide shelter and relief to residents affected by Oroville Dam Spillway evacuations despite a recent downgrade in evacuation status. Shelters will remain open for those who wish to stay outside of the evacuation zones.

As of Tuesday at noon, an estimated 4,800 people were in 28 Red Cross and community shelters. The Red Cross is currently managing four shelter locations where volunteers are providing lodging, hot meals, health services, and comfort. They are:

Silver Dollar Fairgrounds
2357 Fair St.
Chico, CA 95928

Sutter High School
2665 Acacia Avenue
Sutter, CA 95982

Hammon Senior Center
1033 W. Las Palmas
Patterson, CA 95363

California State Fairgrounds – Cal Expo
1600 Expo Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95815

The Red Cross is also supporting multiple community shelters throughout the region by providing cots, blankets, comfort kits, and other resources.

Currently, some 130 Red Cross disaster workers are providing shelter, meals and comfort, with more workers and relief supplies on the way to the region to support this massive response. Red Cross health service volunteers in the shelters are assisting those with medical conditions and helping replace medications, one item people can forget to bring when evacuating so quickly. The Red Cross is also working with partners to provide an array of services including pet sheltering and in-kind donations from the community.

HOW TO HELP

Donations: We are thankful to those who would like to donate items for those evacuated, however the Red Cross is not equipped to manage, support, and distribute donated items. Instead, our priority is to get those affected settled at emergency shelters, and to provide supplies to meet immediate needs. Right now, the best way to help is through monetary donations.

Help people affected by disasters like floods and countless other crises by making a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small across the United States. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Volunteer: The Red Cross is always accepting new volunteers who are interested in supporting disaster relief operations or other areas of interest. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to begin an application.

GET CONNECTED

Follow the Red Cross Gold Country Region on social media for the latest information as it becomes available.

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/RCSierraDelta
www.facebook.com/RedCrossNEC

Twitter:
@RedCrossNECal
@RCSierraDelta

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Gold Country Region serves a twenty-four county territory including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/goldcountry or follow us on Twitter @RCSierraDelta.

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You probably know that during severe weather of the kind we saw recently throughout the Gold Country Region, shelter teams spring into action at a moment’s notice. What you may not know is that Disaster Action Teams (DAT) are also busy at these times, responding to calls from local emergency services to assist residents whose homes have been damaged. Placer DAT volunteer Heath Wakelee provided this account of his DAT team, hard at work providing care for Roseville residents affected by the relentless rain a couple of weeks ago:

In Roseville five DAT members responded to a four unit apartment building after the roof of their building partially blew off. Two of the upstairs units had been red tagged because of asbestos in the ceiling tiles and the other two units had water running down the walls and into electrical outlets. None of the four families had renters insurance. Blankets and funds to assist with lodging, food and clothing were greatly appreciated by all four units. Thank you Teresa Cameron, Bob Johnson, Beryl Mayne and Eleanore Kresge for answering the call to assist. Bob Johnson even went back the next day to make contact with the last of the four units.

Then there was the 42 year old woman who had been homeless for over a year but four months ago she finally found a room in a basement to rent. You guessed it. At 3 am she wakes up to over a foot of water in her room. We were able to give her a little financial help while her long term needs far exceed our DAT capabilities. Beryl Mayne once again assisted on this call and her previous training and experience was very much utilized and appreciated. The special skills that we all bring to our volunteer “work” come into play time and time again. We are a very strong team because of our diversity and unselfish willingness to help anyone in need.

The Red Cross provides the training you need to become a Disaster Action Team member. As you can see, you will learn from the best! Visit redcross.org/goldcountry and click on “Volunteer With Us” to get started.

Joanna Madison brought many important lessons to the Girl Scouts who attended a recent Pillowcase Project session at the American Red Cross Gold Country office in Sacramento. But perhaps most important of all was this:

“Nothing in this world is more valuable than you.”

The Pillowcase Project, sponsored by Disney, is a preparedness education program for grades 3 – 5 that teaches students about personal and family preparedness, safety skills, local hazards, and basic emergency coping skills. Upon completion, students decorate a sturdy pillowcase which they can fill with personal emergency supplies.

With messages like “Turn around. Don’t drown,” and “Get low and go,” Madison cautioned her young students not to let curiosity get in the way of safety. These easy-to-remember phrases, combined with information about what to put in a preparedness kit and how to handle feelings in an emergency, can make coping with a disaster a little less stressful for 8- to 11-year-olds.

Haley Cantu, one of the Girl Scouts who attended the session, learned how important it is to practice a two-minute fire evacuation plan and stay informed.  “You should do what an officer tells you to do if there is an emergency,” she said.

Haley’s sister Veronica took home some important safety tips, too. “If there is a flood don’t walk in it,” she said. “Or if there is a fire, find the nearest exit, either by a window or back door, and don’t wait to grab anything—just get out quick.”

Their mother, Jessica, said she will be assembling a backpack with emergency supplies like a flashlight, batteries, money, water, some food or snacks, band aids, and medication. Another takeaway for her: “Keeping that pillow case under the bed, ready to grab with things that you need—maybe a brush tooth brush, or change of clothes,” she said. “Simple stuff to get you by.”

Madison and other Pillowcase Project presenters have provided this valuable safety training to 374 students through the Gold Country Region since July 2016. Their goal is to reach 2500 students by June of next year.

Prepare, respond, recover.

Every year, the American Red Cross Gold Country Region team works hard to carry out its mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies.

In recent months, volunteers and staff have supported relief efforts for people displaced by wildfires in California, floods in Louisiana, and a hurricane in the southeast. Over the past year, Gold Country Disaster Assistance Teams have responded to over 700 incidents, mostly home fires.

Without the generosity of our donors, these responses would not have been possible.

We would like to thank the following supporters of our 2016 Red Cross Golf Classic, whose sponsorship helps make the Gold Country Region stronger and more prepared each day.

Title Sponsor               Integral Investment Advisors

Dinner/Auction           TD Ameritrade

Lunch                              Anheuser Busch

Breakfast                       Formulation Technology

North Course               PG&E

Volunteer                     Encore Glass

VSP Global

Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuks/Black Oak Casino

Hole-in-One              Niello Audi

Mazda of Elk Grove

Appetizer                   Rancho Murieta Country Club

Adopt-a-Hole          Nationwide Insurance (2)

Rancho Murieta Homes & Land

Superior Signs

Family First Mortgage

VSP Global (2)

AFLAC

Jackson Rancheria

ServPro of Rancho Cordova

Sysco (2)

Marcus H. Bole & Associates

Red Cross Gold Country searched far and wide for a Youth Services Coordinator, and recently found the talented Sheri Bethoney. Sheri joins us after previous work with National Geographic and USGS.

As the Youth Services Coordinator, Sheri coordinates the Red Cross Clubs at high schools and colleges throughout the region. Red Cross Clubs empower students with knowledge and life-saving skills to help prepare their schools and communities to respond to emergencies. Several robust clubs meet regularly around the Sacramento area, and Sheri is looking to expand the program into more schools throughout the region.

Sheri is very familiar with the local school districts, having lived in Sacramento most of her life. Outside of work, she loves learning, hiking, and listening to music.

If you know a student who would like to start a Red Cross Club at his/her school, please contact Sheri at: Sheri.Bethoney@RedCross.org

By Denise Nordell, Volunteer

Even if you’re not great at math, this equation makes sense.

Recently, Red Cross volunteers gathered in the Modesto office to assemble 1,200 information kits for distribution to area seniors. The preparedness items and safety information were provided with support from The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as part of an effort to better prepare seniors and other home-bound individuals for emergencies.

But how to get these important kits into the hands of seniors? Modesto Red Cross staffer Victoria Donoso has both a passion for serving elders and close ties with Catholic Charities in Modesto, which administers many programs for seniors, including transportation. Victoria reached out to her contact at Catholic Charities and a plan was soon formed.

In short order, Red Cross volunteers assembled the bags and delivered them to Catholic Charities. Soon the kits were on their way to the people who could best use them. Many were delivered by members of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) who often support the Modesto Red Cross office. RSVP volunteers receive the added benefit of reimbursement for their mileage logged in service to seniors.

The kits will also be distributed at Red Cross events and key educational events held by SEAPA (Stanislaus Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance).

In an equation like this, everyone wins:

+ The Red Cross fulfills its mission of preventing suffering

+ DHS accomplishes its goal of disseminating potentially life-saving tools

+ RSVP volunteers perform a vital service to seniors

+ Catholic Charities clients receive contact and support

=  Most importantly, 300 seniors will be better equipped to contend with a disaster if one should occur.

By Heath Wakelee

On Monday, August 15, the phone rang while I was giving a disaster preparedness talk at the Marriott Hotel in Rancho Cordova. Ten minutes later, I looked at the phone and saw a Disaster Assistance Team (DAT) response request. Three adults needed help. I called Teresa Cameron to see if she would find someone to go on the call.  She volunteered to go herself. Yeah, Teresa!

I left Rancho Cordova, picked up Teresa in Roseville and we raced up to Auburn to find none of the three occupants of the single-family home at the scene.  One of the occupants was driving up to Nevada County, so we called Disaster Program Manager (DPM) Tami Martin.  Tami then called and asked Ned Russell from our Northeast Chapter to assist the client.  Thankfully, Ned agreed.  We left Red Cross contact information at the fire location.

That night I went to sleep at 9:30 because my alarm was set to go off at 4:00 A.M. so I could help out at the Channel 13/31 telethon for flood and fire victims. I wasn’t asleep for long. The phone rang at 1:30 A.M. with another fire call in Auburn: seven adults and two children.  I called Beryl Mayne and she said she could respond.  Others were hard to come by, but Herman Buckley in Roseville agreed to go.

I checked my phone again.  Another DAT call.

This one was for one adult in Roseville, so at 1:45 A.M., I called Teresa—again.  She is great!  She said she could respond, so I turned the Roseville call over to her.  Teresa called Arry Murphy and the two headed off to eventually find two adults with one child needing assistance. (Very frequently the head count is different from what we are initially told and often the address is close, but not 100% accurate.  We deal with the situation we find when we get there.)

Into the car. I headed for the Red Cross office in Auburn, where Beryl, Herman and I planned to meet.  Our call was in a remote part of Auburn and we finally arrived at about 2:45 A.M.  We ended up with three family units all needing assistance.  At 4:00 A.M. we headed to the Auburn office to get WiFi reception so we could activate their Client Assistance Cards (CACs).  Finally finished, we called the clients to inform them that their CACs had been activated and told them what their case numbers were.

Teresa and Arry did a great job on their call in Roseville. Now I could try to be a perky person and answer phones in West Sacramento. I arrived at the telethon at about 6:15 A.M. and had a good, positive experience.  That is, until around 1 P.M. when my head was hurting from hitting the table (not really, but I was tired). Janelle Weiner (our temporary Lilly Wyatt, Communications Director) asked if I would like to come back at 5 P.M. for a TV interview and I politely declined.

I headed home to do the DCSOPS reports and finally napped at 4:00 P.M.

Placer DAT had three DAT calls in 12 hours—a record for Placer County.  We did it and could have handled another call or two.  Placer DAT rocks!  Thanks again to Teresa, Arry, Beryl, Herman and Ned.