Uncategorized – Gold Country News and Notes

Tiffany Circle 2023 Spotlight: Miki Teixeiera

The American Red Cross is proud to honor Miki Teixeira with the 2023 American Red Cross Spirit of Tiffany Award. The award is given each year in recognition of a female philanthropist who embodies the value of Red Cross founder Clara Barton. This extraordinary recognition is for those Tiffany Circle members who exemplify the heartfelt need to help others.

Cofounder and managing director of the Crowley Children’s Fund, Miki has more than 50 years in the behavioral health and medical field. Her experience includes casework with children, coordination and facilitation of programs with schools and mental health agencies, crisis intervention, and the entire spectrum of therapy with children. Over the past 40 years, she has served on many boards relating to children in our community. Her very first project was the Ronald McDonald House at UC Davis Medical Center.

In 2004, Miki completed an intensive program through the National Hispanic Leadership Institute that emphasized a holistic approach to leadership with training in public policy, leadership, strategic management and race/class/gender issues. She also earned a Harvard School of Government Certificate in 2004. The United Nations granted the Crowley Children’s Fund Special Consultive Status in 2011. Her career has taken her from Sacramento to many countries, where she worked to develop schools, dental programs, anti-sex trafficking agencies for children at risk, and provide water wells and medical necessities.

Miki is dedicated to increasing awareness of human rights locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. She has visited many communities and countries to document human rights abuses and provide support by teaching English, educating about sexually transmitted diseases and immunizing children.

Learn more about the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle here.

Saturday Update: New Evacuation Shelters Open

American Red Cross volunteers have opened emegency evecuation shelters at the following locations:

CALAVERAS COUNTY:

Mokelumne Hill Elementary School, 8350 Highway 26 Mokelumne Hill, CA 95245

Westpoint Town Hall, 26 State Route 26, Westpoint, CA 95255

HUMBOLDT COUNTY:

Steven’s Hall, 130 School Rd, Miranda, CA 95553

Anyone is welcome at Red Cross shelters, including those with service animals. Our shelters provide visitors with a place to sleep, meals, beverages, snacks, comfort and care.

The Red Cross urges everyone to follow evacuation orders from local law enforcement and to have an emergency kit ready to go. Find a shelter by visiting redcross.org/shelters or download the free Red Cross Emergency App, which includes wildfire safety tips. The app is available in app stores by searching for American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

If possible, people who stay in a Red Cross shelter should bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, other comfort items and important documents. It is also recommended to bring special items for children such as diapers, formula and toys.

The Red Cross delivers help to anyone regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or citizenship status. People who have disaster-caused needs do not need to be American citizens to access Red Cross services.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Help people affected by disasters by making a donation to support Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters big and small. Call, click, or text to give: visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Dorman

By Jenny Farley, Volunteer

March is Red Cross month! It is the perfect time to recognize our amazing volunteers who step up to aid those in need during disasters large and small.

When Mary Dorman was seven, her mother asked her what her purpose in life was going to be. She knew then what she puts into action now as a Red Cross volunteer and an insurance agent. “Make a difference.” She said, “I was raised believing that we need to take care of each other.”

Since 2007, Mary has volunteered in several roles including public affairs and as a member of the Northern California chapter’s board of directors. Her advice to those interested in volunteering? “Jump in and do it. I just love it. I love the people I get to work with and the other volunteers and staff.”

If you would like to volunteer, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

Women’s History Month Spotlight: Regional Chief Development Officer Kimberly Coley

Kimberly Coley

Kimberly Coley is the Regional Chief Development Officer for the California Gold Country Region of the American Red Cross. She leads staff and volunteer teams increasing the overall financial health of the organization both locally and nationally. She is a visionary, innovative, and highly collaborative leader who is passionate about building healthy workplace culture and coaching high performing teams.

Kimberly brings 15 years of management experience with her to the Pacific Division of the Red Cross, where she formerly served as Executive Director for the Central California Region. In that role, she led a talented team of humanitarians who served the 1.6 million residents of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Prior to the Red Cross, Kimberly served as the Vice President of External Affairs for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. She has held many leadership positions throughout the state of California and has worked in the non-profit, public and private sectors.

In her spare time, Kimberly advocates for expanding opportunities to under-served communities and has served as a volunteer, board member and chairwoman of several organizations throughout the years. She has been a recipient of the 2018 Woman of the Year Award from former California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and then-Assemblymember Monique Limon, a two-time honoree of the Pacific Coast Business Times, receiving “40 Under 40” in 2018 and “Top 50 Women in Business” in 2017, and a Top 5 Finalist for the 2019 Young Professional of the Year Award, presented by the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club.

Born and raised in Tennessee, she is an avid fan of the Tennessee Volunteers!

Volunteer Spotlight: Michelle Hogue

Michelle Hogue, Public Affairs Volunteer

By Jenny Farley, Volunteer

Despite being shy, Michelle Hogue knew she wanted to volunteer for the Red Cross when she saw a post from another volunteer on a neighborhood app.

She thought, “I want to give back.

Although nervous at first, she enthusiastically responded to her first assignment in public affairs talking to people at a shelter after the McKinney Fire.

“It turned out to be an amazing experience.”

She said the thing that affected her most was the gratitude among proud people who were willing to accept help from the Red Cross. She advised anyone who wants to volunteer to know that connecting with people makes it worth it.

To learn more check out redcross.org/volunteertoday.

SEVERE WEATHER SHELTER UPDATE

UPDATED 3/6/23 at 8pm

Impacted by winter weather and need a safe place to stay? Red Cross volunteers and partners have emergency shelters at the following locations:

1700 Tuolumne Community Resiliency Center, 18241 Bay Ave, Tuolumne, CA 95379

Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building, 255 S Auburn St, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Pine Grove Community Center, 19889 Hwy 88, Pine Grove, CA 95665

#helpcantwait

SMUD Partners with Red Cross in Support of Sickle Cell Initiative

By Peg Taylor, Volunteer

The American Red Cross and SMUD have joined together to support the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative and address the critical need for blood specific to the needs of those with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 people nationwide with more than 400 patients residing in the Sacramento area. People with sickle cell disease live with extreme pain, anemia, tissue and organ damage and stroke.

READ: Local boy, 10, struggles with sickle cell disease; Family encourages blood donations to help

There is no cure for sickle cell disease but treatment through frequent blood transfusions can help prevent or reduce these symptoms. It has been found that blood donations from African-American donors can decrease complications related to transfusion therapy needed by sickle cell patients who receive lifelong transfusions.

Patients need as many as 10 units of blood every month. This need, along with a shortage of donors, has resulted in a dire need for African-American blood donations.

The American Red Cross is well placed to help meet this need, as the organization manages about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply. The American Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative was born out of the need to increase the amount of blood products available for people with sickle cell disease by increasing the number of currently underrepresented African American donors nationwide.

The Sickle Cell Initiative has a nationwide goal to triple the number of African-American blood donors by the end of December 2024.

READ: The blood donation process

“My experience with donating blood (to the Red Cross) was easy from start to finish. From the time I called over the phone, to the time I was sitting in the chair donating, the experience felt welcoming and safe. Everything was explained to me about the collection process. The staff were patient and accommodating,” said Anya-Jael Woods, with SMUD’s Sustainable Community Partnerships.

“The education I was provided about sickle cell disease and how blood donations help the community living with the disease made the process that much more impactful for me. It was a blessing to be a part of this drive and I look forward to participating again.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Volunteers needed to help with blood donations

To schedule your appointment or for more information visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The Red Cross is now screening self-identified African-American donors for the sickle cell trait to help patients in need. Click here for more information on the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative or to schedule a blood donation.

We thank SMUD for their partnership in bringing awareness to sickle cell disease.

Meet Board Chair Roxanne Gould

By Peg Taylor, Volunteer

Throughout 2023, we are introducing you to the board of directors for our Sierra-Delta and Northern California chapters.

We begin with current Chair of the Sierra-Delta board, Roxanne Gould, who first came in contact with the Red Cross as a child when her family survived a home fire.

Roxanne, who is president of her firm Gould Government Relations, has been a member of American Red Cross Gold Country Region Board of Directors since 2016 and was appointed Board Chair in 2022.

When she was five years old, Roxanne lived through an apartment fire that she says was only survivable because of the quick thinking of her brother who saved both Roxanne and her mother.

She remembers sitting in a car watching their home burn to the ground and recalls Red Cross volunteers placing a blanket around her shoulders and giving her mom money for food, motel and other necessities.

Roxanne considers the Red Cross volunteers who helped her family that night as her heroes.

Roxanne has been driven to support the work of the California Gold Country Region through her work on the Board of Directors, and by volunteering her time with Sound the Alarm, the Pillowcase Project, various telethons and blood drives. She is also a member of the Red Cross Tiffany Circle, a community of women leaders who carry on Red Cross founder Clara Barton’s legacy by advancing the Red Cross mission through a focused investment of time, talent and treasure.

“I am always moved by the generosity of our donors in times of trouble. Donors know and understand the work of the Red Cross. I certainly do and will continue to give back for the rest of my life,” she says.

We thank Roxanne for her continued work on behalf of the Red Cross.

Embassy Suites Employees Honored by Red Cross After Saving Colleague’s Life

The importance of learning CPR is front and center in the news right now after Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a recent NFL game.

The American Red Cross not only teaches CPR and other lifesaving skills but regularly recognizes people who save lives after taking such training.

This is one of our favorite stories out of the California Gold Country Region: two hotel employees who helped save the life of a coworker. And they were taught CPR by a manager who was also trained by the Red Cross!

Visit redcross.org/take-a-class today.

Gold Country News and Notes

Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront employees David Thrailkill and Amit Raj, along with their colleague and Red Cross CPR instructor Darryl Smalley (from left to right) were recognized with the Red Cross Lifesaving Award in January.

CPR and first aid classes are something that so many of us are mandated to do in our respective fields. It can become something that we dread if we already feel proficient and have been re-certified countless times. There are times, however, that this class proves most useful and ultimately saves a life.

For years, Darryl Smalley, the security manager of Embassy Suites Sacramento Riverfront, has been certifying his employees in CPR and first aid. By providing this service to them, Darryl was able to equip two employees with the skills and knowledge that they needed to save a friend and coworker.

On Thursday, June 6, 2019, at about 8 a.m., David Thrailkill, the guest…

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‘You Need to Upgrade Once in a While’ – Why We Need Your Support for a New Emergency Response Vehicle

By Robin Blomster, Volunteer

Just how food and supplies expire, the American Red Cross needs to retire its emergency response vehicles every few years.

Why?

“Imagine showing up to your work … in a 1972 Datsun,” said Bob Willmon, Disaster Action Team Captain and Logistics Co-Lead for the California Gold Country Region. “That’s about where our existing ERV status in this region is. You need to upgrade once in a while.”

WATCH: Take a look at how critical ERVs are to our lifesaving mission

Through Dec. 31, the California Gold Country is asking donors to help raise $150,000 to purchase a new Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to better serve local residents and people around the country who are affected by disasters large and small.

The next-generation American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle

WATCH: Tour a next-generation ERV

The modern ERV has lots of functional amenities like two rows of shelves, sturdy storage and even a pop-out back window to more easily distribute aid in crisis situations.

“These fires, these emergencies, they almost never happen on a beautiful 70 degree day,” Willmon said. “They’re always rainy, they’re always cold, it’s always in the middle of the night. So to have a vehicle like this to have a platform to do what we do to help people is awesome.”

The ERV is based on the Mercedes Sprinter and drives as easily as a sedan, according to some volunteers. Among many other things, it comes with a CB radio that allows for communication with the command center even when traditional lines are down. It’s also more fuel efficient than previous models, so is a great investment in efficiency and maintenance.

The vehicle can fit three people while driving, and up to five or six when stationary, turning into a quiet space for decompressing.

See how Red Cross volunteers served our 26-county region in 2022

“The energy that goes on in an emergency scene is palatable,” Willmon said. “When you can come in here and close the doors, block out all that kind of stuff, they can sit in here and take a break. And our volunteers … can sit down with them and calm them down.”

Click here to learn more about the ERV and contribute toward our ERV fundraising campaign.