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
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
By Jenny Farley
One of the California Gold Country Region’s newest Americorps members is anxiously awaiting word on whether she will deploy to Florida to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
It would be Ajaya Fullmore’s first deployment as she continues to settle into her new job working in Disaster Services.
“I want to be there to help everybody,” she said.
Losing two women in her life who meant everything to her inspired Ajaya to seek the assignment with the Red Cross. “Once you get into the American Red Cross you start to think, ‘I’m here for a mission.’ It’s changing my life already.”
Ajaya’s sister Mahogany died two years ago and her grandmother Brenda Ann died recently. “She has been a woman in my life that I look up to. She was into making a difference. She was a humanitarian.”
In that humanitarian spirit, the Red Cross has had more than a thousand workers and volunteers helping provide shelter, food and meals in states impacted by Ian.
Ajaya is ready to go but she’s asking herself a few questions. “I want to see the impact I can make. Can I be in these shelters and make these people comfortable? Can I do the things I am sent there to do?” she said.
Seeing media coverage of Hurricane Ian’s destruction makes Ajaya feel for those who have lost their homes and belongings. “My heart goes out to those people. These individuals have built their lives in their homes. For all that hard work to just disappear within a matter of hours or days, that’s a scary thing.”
More than a hundred people lost their lives in Hurricane Ian. If Ajaya deploys to Florida, memories of her grandmother and sister won’t be far away. “I do this to honor her. My grandma was the embodiment of love.”
Despite knowing the deployment may be challenging, Ajaya said she’s not worried about her own life. She wants to show people in Florida that it doesn’t matter where you are, the message is the same.
“Love is nationwide and I am here to spread it.”
To learn about volunteering with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.
By Alicia Dorr
“We’re grateful the Red Cross is here.”
The Mosquito Wildfire was first detected more than three weeks ago, but residents near it are still reeling from its destruction. As Red Cross volunteers go into the communities to help families get back on their feet, fire information officers Kimberly Peterson and Andrew Dowd are also in the community working to educate residents about wildfires.
“This is such a great classroom for talking about wildfire,” Andrew says.
The Red Cross partners closely with local officials to help communities get on the road to recovery – but also to help educate on how to protect your family should a fire spark again. For the Red Cross, this means offering hope for the future through immediate assistance or resources like our Emergency Preparedness App. Kimberly says hope is what they want to share, too.
“Life is still here,” Kimberly says. “In those areas where the fire cleared up the forest floor, new growth will come back – not all is lost.”
Kimberly and Red Cross disaster job director Betsy Witthohn discussed ways buildings can be protected, from prescribed burns by local fire departments to ensuring low brush is cleared out around your home. Kimberly also shared that the red fire retardant used to push back fires has ammonium nitrate in it.
“It actually puts nutrients back in the soil,” she explains.
Red Cross volunteers go into the communities affected by the Mosquito Fire doing everything from handing out clean-up kits to connecting people with long-term resources, and they interact regularly with local officials who are also the boots on the ground. Kimberly says it does not go unnoticed.
“We’re grateful the Red Cross is here,” she says.
To find out more about how you can prepare your family for disasters, or to find out how you can donate or volunteer, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcross.org.
By Alicia Dorr
Volunteers have been at Local Assistance Centers and out in the communities helping and caring for residents affected by the wildfires. Call 1-800-RED CROSS to donate or find out more about how you can get involved with the mission.
By Alicia Dorr
Evelyn McMahon has always been a connector. She likes helping people gain access to resources, to provide them with support, to listen to them and help them navigate barriers so that they can live healthier, happier lives. That’s why she says she loves serving as a Community Engagement and Partnerships (CEP) volunteer. Evelyn has taken on this role as a part of the response to the Mosquito fire and the Mill fire in Northern California.
“It is very gratifying work,” Evelyn says. “When you connect a person who has a need to something that will make a difference – it’s just wonderful.”
As a CEP volunteer, Evelyn is constantly interacting with community organizations, businesses, churches, local authorities and more to ensure residents affected by the wildfires get everything they need to get back on their feet. She IDs all of the resources in the community and gives that information and help to residents who may not have known what was available to them.
“We help agencies and partners in the community understand what people need, too. We thank them for the support and help them understand the extent of the need so we can coordinate,” Evelyn explains.
This was especially important in the case of the Mill fire. Evelyn says she feels really privileged to have worked with in Weed, California. Within the town is an area called Lincoln Heights, a historically black community settled by black lumber mill workers in the 1920s. The Mill fire is believed to have sparked near the Roseburg Forest Products lumber mill, just down the road from Lincoln Heights, where the quick-moving flames destroyed or damaged a significant number of homes. Evelyn says despite the devastation, the community is incredibly resilient.
“They want to move back. When you look in their faces, you see hope,” Evelyn says. “So we’re going to do what we have to do to get them what they need.”
She and other Red Crossers gathered information about all of the affected families and learned what was lost and what benefits were available. Evelyn worked with local officials, agencies, churches, community centers and more to connect them to everything from replacing lost medical supplies to options for long-term shelter.
Evelyn is passionate about the work because she says she sees the difference it makes, every day. Whether she’s working to help people after a disaster like a wildfire or she is in her home state of North Carolina doing day to day connection to resources after home fires, she says volunteering with the Red Cross is definitely worth it – and she recommends it to anyone.
“If you like helping people even a little bit, you will love being a volunteer for Red Cross.”
To find out more about the Red Cross mission and what volunteer roles might interest you visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
By Alicia Dorr
“The Red Cross volunteers fly in from all over, give up their time – I didn’t know that. They go above and beyond,” Marco says. “It’s a lousy situation, but they are the best of it.”
Marco, known as Marco in the Morning, is a local radio host in one of the evacuation areas in El Dorado county. He hasn’t been home for nearly two weeks, but he was able to go home as evacuation orders were lifted. He says he is impressed by the American Red Cross volunteers who have been helping others during this trying time.
“The Red Cross volunteers fly in from all over, give up their time – I didn’t know that. They go above and beyond,” Marco says. “It’s a lousy situation, but they are the best of it.”
Red Cross shelters in response to the Mosquito Fire have closed, and all of the affected residents have been connected with long-term lodging solutions. While evacuation orders have been lifted, the Red Cross response doesn’t just end. Our volunteers are out in the communities handing out supplies, snacks, cleaning kits, and providing services for anyone affected as they work to get back on their feet.
You can help people affected by disasters like fires and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Call 1-800-RED CROSS to find out more today.
Gold Country News and Notes 