Tag: Community
Looking for a Volunteer Opportunity That Could Save Lives in Sac/Yolo Counties?
Looking for a #volunteer opportunity in #Sacramento and #Yolo counties that will save lives?
The national Sound the Alarm event in the Gold Country Region is April 25! Our goal for 2020 is 4,000 alarm installations – 1,100 of those on April 25 alone!
As part of the Home Fire Campaign, Sound the Alarm is our largest community event!
To reach our goal, the region’s Preparedness Department is looking for a volunteer lead to oversee April 25 installations in Sacramento and Yolo counties.
This position is responsible for supporting and engaging the members assigned to the preparedness team, which includes ensuring assigned volunteers are provided with outstanding support and management.
Ability to build and lead a team using a collaborative leadership style and demonstrating traits of honesty, forward looking, competence, intelligence, and compassion. Capacity to envision the team’s impact in their area and inspire them into action. Ability to communicate how the team fits into the larger Disaster Cycle Services structure and how their actions can positively influence and support the DCS program as a whole.
Additional Qualifications:
1) Ability to relate effectively with diverse groups and individuals
2) Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
3) Demonstrated ability to read, understand, and review program guidelines and tools
Interested in learning more? Contact Community Preparedness Program Manager Kim Christensen at
916-281-4315 or kim.christensen@redcross.org.
About the Home Fire Campaign:
Every day, seven people die in home fires, most victims in homes that lack smoke alarms. The American Red Cross wants to improve the odds and save lives – that’s why we launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014.
Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. In just six years, our home visits have accomplished so much, including the installation of more than 2 million smoke alarms and preparing more than 2 million people against home fires.
Despite Cancer Diagnosis, Volunteer Loretta Walker Dives into Blood Services, Focuses on Kids
Twelve years ago, doctors told Loretta Walker she had only few months to live and she should return home to put her affairs in order.
Cancer.
Instead, she began volunteering at the Red Cross blood center in Manteca. Having received transfusions herself, Loretta has had firsthand experience with blood donations and knows how important donating blood is for the community. In addition to her canteen work and volunteering at local mobile blood drives, Loretta offered to coordinate volunteers for the Manteca center.
“I love communicating with the other volunteers and donors,” said Loretta. I have made some new friends and love visiting my old friends too.”
Another project near to Loretta’s heart is helping Manteca youth. For the past 10 years, Loretta has been an integral part of the FUN (Friday Unity Night) Club. Determined to help keep kids off the streets and away from drugs, community leaders created a safe haven every Friday where kids would go to play games, hear live music and participate in presentations from the police and fire departments.
Loretta continues to serve, despite her ongoing fight against cancer. In April 2018, Loretta had radiation treatments because the tumors had grown. “I don’t give up,” she said. “I am dedicated to working with the community and all the people in it.”
Seniors Take Charge in their Community Installing Smoke Alarms
It’s about Time…
Two minutes, to be exact.
In this agonizingly short timeframe, a family can win or lose its fight to escape a home fire and the lethal smoke created by that fire. One device can even the odds for a family: tested, working smoke alarms.
Our golden age community members understand this; they know there’s never any time to waste so these seniors didn’t.
Partnering with the American Red Cross, they took matters into their own hands. They knocked on doors, hauled ladders, drilled into walls, mounted alarms, replaced dead batteries, shared fire prevention tips, and documented their results in a smoke alarm installation campaign. In just four-days they saw 20% of their neighborhood homes equipped with brand new 10-year-battery smoke alarms. The group visited more than 100 homes installing 225 alarms.
They were the disaster volunteers of Mobile County Club in Rancho Cordova who carried out the project with the support of their management and Home Owners Association.
Nothing stopped them, not even temperatures which topped 100 degrees. Red Cross staff and volunteers, in some cases half the age of their clients, did their best to keep up. “They set a pace we haven’t seen before,” said Myisha Aban, Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Manager. “These people are so resilient and delightful. I wish my grandmother lived here.”
Equally important, residents were given safety literature emphasizing the all-imperative escape plan, ensuring that a two-minute evacuation strategy would not fail due to blocked or inaccessible exits or pathways to safety unknown to anyone in the household.
Spearheading the charge was Antonio Martinez, HOA Treasurer and the tireless promoter of disaster preparedness for his community of mobile homes. Tony initiated this project when he called the Red Cross inquiring for free vests. Joining Tony were residents Bob Schroeder, Lyle Fellows, Bill Johnston, Darrill Sturgeon, Jorge (Chiqui) Nievies, Linda Martinez, Deborah Fieldson, and Irene Ferraro.
The group proved itself not only handy but tireless. Keeping up with them (or trying to) were Veteran Red Cross volunteer Marcus Heningburg who oversaw Operations along with David Hansen, Todd and Terry Sanford, Isadora Marks, Reena Singh, and Patricia Davis, all of the American Red Cross.
Start to finish, the project was encouraged by Property Manager Leslie Gomez and Office Assistant Kelly Boughton; their support and hospitality contributed significantly to the event’s success.
The alarms and batteries were provided free of charge as benefits of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, a nationwide movement to cut by 25% and over a five-year period deaths from home fires.
Coast-to-coast, the fire service has supported the campaign and did so here. On the first day, a ladder company from Sacramento Metropolitan Fire walked with volunteers and encouraged neighbors to join the movement at Mobile Country Club.
…because Tony and his friends aren’t done.
They’ve got more of that Park to cover. And they will.
Given several factors, the Red Cross encourages all mobile home parks and their managements to consider a Home Fire Campaign for smoke alarm installation and community disaster education. For more information or to schedule installations visit our website: redcross.org/GoldCountry and click on Home Fire Campaign.
Why I volunteer
Author: Amy Magallanes, Public Affairs Volunteer
I am a career parent, which is to say the last 20 years, of my 40 on earth, have been spent pouring the best parts of myself into 4 wonderful humans. As the first of the 4 developed her wings and left for college; I was realizing the magnitude of being transplanted from one thing to another. For half my life, I have given. Time. Care. Hugs. Compassion. Kindness. Patience. As one by one my children will surely fly the coop; Even surer, is my capacity to give.
As a public affairs volunteer, Red Cross allows me the opportunity to listen. In every story I tell, I find my own. In relating the details, I find the courage and heart each individual, or volunteer possess. I add it to my own ever growing heart.
Volunteering at Red Cross ,may be holding space for a stranger, or your neighbor, but it is also holding space for yourself. Red Cross needs volunteers to pour life into humanity. Volunteers, like me, need Red Cross to pour meaning into the words I write; or significance into the photos I capture. It builds a bridge over the gap the changes in my own life have created. It allows me to witness, first hand, the best parts of humanity. It also connects me to other people who share the same idea; that giving of yourself with time, resource or compassion fills spaces that expand on who we are. It allows me to give to something larger than myself, while developing new friendships and bonds.
Red Cross grants me a platform in which to reflect a little bit of myself onto those who need it. Sometimes it’s your neighbor, sometimes a stranger. Or even your own family. Be a mirror. With a smile. A hug. A meal. Your time. The Red Cross reminds me, much like parenting does, you get back far more than what you put in.
Local Collection Drive to Bring a Smile to Our Military
Author: Randi Benton, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
Screeeech”! No, not the guy from Saved By The Bell, this is the sound of care packages being sealed and ready to ship to the troops after being filled with the countless items and supplies donated by the community in Northern California. Care packages? Donations? What’s the occasion, you ask? Well, of course that would be the third annual Operation Care Package – a joint effort between the American Red Cross Gold Country Region and KCRA/ KQCA to collect care package items, goods and supplies for our military, local and abroad.
“Care packages provide a touch of home and an opportunity to say “thank you” to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces for their service and sacrifice,” said Tobrin Hewitt, Services to the Armed Forces Manager for the American Red Cross Gold Country Region.
Operation Care Package was underway from dawn ‘til dusk on Friday, June 10, 2016, receiving in a cornucopia of donations from hygiene products to books and snacks.. But, prior to the start of the event, at precisely 4 A.M. volunteers swarmed the empty car lot in front of the Toyota dealership at the Roseville Automall, a little bit like a hoard of sleep-deprived zombies but nonetheless ready and willing to set up the tents and have everything arranged for the day ahead.
Armed with some coffee, Red Cross and partner volunteers were fast at work when the first donations began to pour in. One lane was blocked off for drivers to pull up and unload their donations, and believe me when I say it was busier than an In ‘N Out drive thru on a Saturday night! In between the colossal amount of cars driving by to drop of various items and supplies for donation, Sutter Health drove in with a truck load full of hundreds of items and even the local chapter of the Girl Scout who donated 5,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
This year’s Operation Care Package consisted of volunteers from the Red Cross, Blue Star Moms, Move America Forward, Retired Veterans, Current Servicemen and many more. Even a Cheer Squad from Oakmont High School took time out of their summer to help out with the event and cheer the drivers as they were driving by with their donations. Even more surprising, little kids were getting in on the action helping out their parents and excited to give back, or in this case sort out the items being received.
“Volunteers not only worked effortlessly to make this event a success, but they also made sure to look after one another,” said Robin DeCristofano from the Blue Star Moms. “Some of them were passing out icy cold strips to others to stay cool, handing out snacks, and ensuring everyone had a cold water bottle to stay hydrated. Overall, everyone was in jovial spirits.”
Throughout the course of the day, despite the mild heat and busy atmosphere, everyone was determined to make this day another proverbial win for the books. And I dare say it was! We were able to collect approximately 12,000 individual items which will help us put together more than 5500 care packages for military members deployed in Honduras serving in Joint Task Force-Bravo, Blue Star Moms, Marine Families, Yolo military families as well as Move America Forward and Corporal Palmer Foundation will receive items to send to service members.
As always, this event would not have been possible without the partnership and support from KCRA/KQCA, the Roseville Automall, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Sutter Health, and Safe Credit Union.
Check out more the pictures from the event here.
Pizza Guys Joins Red Cross Giving Day
Who is hungry for some pizza?!
We are excited to announce that Pizza Guys is kicking off a Red Cross Giving Day Campaign tomorrow! The campaign begins on Friday, April 15 and runs through Red Cross Giving Day on April 21.
Pizza Guys has 61 stores participating in the campaign located throughout Northern and Central California, as well as Oregon and Nevada. Throughout the campaign, Pizza Guys employees will as
k customers if they would like to make a donation to the Red Cross at the register. Customers will also have the opportunity to donate to the Red Cross through the Pizza Guys website.
The best part is that on Giving Day, 50% of online Large and X-Large pizza sales on pizzaguys.com will be donated to the Red Cross when customers use coupon code: REDCROSS at checkout.
Please help us spread the word! Encourage family, friends and colleagues to get a Pizza Guys this week and on Giving Day.
For more information, please contact Chelsea.Fahr@redcross.org.
The BASH 2016 – A Night to Remember
By Amy Magallanes, Public Affairs Volunteer
The first annual BASH benefit – A salute to service, took place on Saturday April 2nd, 2016. Inspired by the TV series MASH, the McClellan conference center whisked the guests away to another era. Military Jeep escorts to and from the building, dog tag souvenirs, and the Peter Petty Orchestra set the scene for an evening dedicated to celebrate and honor the military and the important work of the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) program in the Gold Country Region.
The Red Cross SAF program has served more than one- million military families since 9/11, helping them prepare for, cope with, and respond to the trials of military service.
Close to 300 guests came together to honor three local Korean War veterans. LTC Robert Burns, Richard Austin, and John Murphree Lowery; as well as Susan Savage, who received the Spirit of Tiffany award for her philanthropic work in the Sacramento region.
Events like these have a hand in getting the word out to those who can help. LTC Robert Burns stood in service to our country during three wars, he enjoyed the evening with his wife Beverly, “many Korean War veterans have been forgotten,” said Robert Burns. His work with the Elks lodge, in conjunction with the Red Cross, spreads awareness to our community, as well as to those veterans unaware of the resources these organizations provide.
“We hope to create an event that is accessible to everyone in our community, in a fun, loose, and open environment,” explained Gary Strong, CEO of the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. This expands the neighborhood of people dedicated to honoring the men and women who have, and continue to protect our country.
Guests went to great lengths to pay tribute to the MASH inspired theme. Jeffery and Eleanor Snively took this very seriously, researching costumes to procure an accurate “Hawkeye” character. He and his two sons, who serve in the Army, are passionate about spreading the word, “people are forgetting,” said Jeffery Snively, BASH attendee. Jeffery and Eleanor’s attendance tonight is indeed an example that he and his family are breathing life into the SAF program. With the table set for one on the stage, in memory of those who didn’t return home from battle, the guests reflected on how important the work of revering those who endured the greatest sacrifices are to this great nation.
In compliment to the lovely evening, David Sobon led the auction, where attendee Dennis Smith bid and won, ‘Sutter’s Gold’, a painting by artist Greg Kondos. His father was stationed at McClellan, his mother worked on base as well. He was led to bid, as if completing a circle, started by the contributions his parents made. His enormous smile indicated his wish to honor them, and all those who serve, has been granted.
Much like the TV show in which was revived at the event, the stories of those who lived to tell the tale of the Korean War, remind us that we can all be called to honor those who valiantly pledge to protect our country. Volunteer. Donate. Spread the word. The SAF and the American Red Cross provide a platform, which allow us to appreciate, in whichever way we can, the men, women, and families, of our military, so no one is ever forgotten.
Check out all the fun we had at The BASH 2016 on our Flickr page.
30 Days Later – The California Wildfires Response
Immediate Collaboration
The ongoing drought across California has given way to another historic wildfire season. Beginning September 9, 2015, two of the most destructive wildfires in state history flared throughout northern California. The Valley Fire is now the third most destructive fire in state history and the Butte Fire the seventh most destructive blaze. Combined, these fires burned more than 150,000 square acres and destroyed more than 1,700 homes, displacing thousands of families.
As the fires destroyed buildings, neighbors instantly came together to help one another showing amazing generosity and resilience. Local Red Cross chapters, community organizations and government agencies sprang into action as well, mobilizing volunteers to offer shelter, food, water, basic health services, and mental health services for thousands of people in the path of the wildfires.
As evacuation orders were lifted, Red Cross volunteers worked alongside community members to distribute food, and relief supplies to impacted neighborhoods and support people as they returned to their properties with health and mental health services.
California Wildfires Response by the Numbers:
- over 120,000 meals and snacks served by Salvation Army, Southern Baptist, community groups, local restaurants and the Red Cross
- over 58,000 relief items water, snacks, hot meals, non-perishable meals, and clean-up items such as work gloves, buckets, trash bags, sifters, and dust masks
- over 11,000 overnight stays in 12 community or Red Cross shelters
- over 9,900 health and mental health contacts
- over 1,500 cases opened by Red Cross caseworkers to provide individualized recovery support.
Disasters are often complex, with complex needs – and no single agency can meet every need on its own; it takes collaboration and partnership. The reality is that it takes the talents and resources of many agencies and organizations working together to provide necessary services after a major disaster.
The Red Cross is one of many agencies coming together to ensure that basic needs are met, to work on the long-term recovery of entire communities, and to help them be prepared for and more resilient in the face of future wildfires. During the California Wildfires response, the Red Cross collaborated with several partner agencies, including several Lions Clubs, several Sevenths Day Adventists communities, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Twin Pine Casino, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Salvation Army, Jackson Rancheria, Tzu Chi, St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, Children’s Disaster Services, Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, Rotary Clubs, Community Churches, Boy Scouts of America, Center of Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, local and state Emergency Operation Centers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and many more.
It Takes the Whole Community to Make a Community Whole
To help all households in fire-impacted communities move forward, the Red Cross is working together with local Long-Term Recovery Groups in Lake and Calaveras Counties respectively, which are coalitions of community and grassroots organizations who will develop and execute long-term plans for a community’s recovery.
The Red Cross currently has highly trained caseworkers meeting one-on-one with each family affected by the wildfires to understand each unique situation and help them on the road to recovery with the information, assistance, and access to resources they need to put that plan into action. They are helping people with family reunification information, funeral assistance, emergency needs and recovery planning.
Caseworkers are also skilled in directing people to other agencies that provide specialized services not provided by the Red Cross. Much of Red Cross recovery work focuses on assisting the most vulnerable people who need extra help getting back on their feet, are ineligible for government assistance, or don’t have anywhere else to turn for help.
The Red Cross also has trained disaster mental health professionals available to help adults and children cope with the emotional impact of a disaster and its aftermath. It’s common for people to suffer from high stress, anxiety, depression and other trauma related illnesses during and after a disaster. Red Cross Disaster Mental Health workers assess clients’ needs, provide individual psychological triage, crisis intervention and condolence support, and make appropriate community referrals for longer term support.
Persons affected by the wildfires who are in need of assistance are encouraged to connect with a Red Cross caseworker by calling 855-255-2490.
Preparing for Secondary Impacts
The wildfires left vast expanses of terrain and hillsides bare and when heavy rains arrive this winter, experts predict that flooding and mudslides are not far behind. Recognizing that these secondary impacts represent a serious threat, the Red Cross will be collaborating with local communities to increase personal preparedness and strengthening the existing volunteer corps to ensure the community is ready to respond if and when another disaster strikes.
The Red Cross provides potentially life-saving preparedness apps that are absolutely free. There are apps for first aid, tornadoes, hurricanes, flood, wildfire, and earthquake that can be programmed to give an audible warning should an event be imminent. They are filled with important information on what to do before, during, and after an event, and provide directions to Red Cross shelters. Recently, the Red Cross came out with an Emergency app that combines in one place many of the features of the individual apps described above. All of these apps are free of charge. They can be found and downloaded by going to your particular app store and searching “Red Cross” or from the Red Cross website at www.redcross.org.
No matter what the disaster is, the American Red Cross is hard at work at some phase of the Disaster Cycle and often on multiple phases at the same time. The Red Cross is here today to serve those who have lost so much, and it will be ready to serve when a future disaster strikes again.
A Picture Is Worth 1000 words – check out the images captured during the Butte Fire Response – Butte Fire Pictures
Gold Country News and Notes 