Thanks to Fox40 for sharing the work that we do at the American Red Cross and thanks to the Girl Scouts for putting extra love in making the kits.
We would like to share this special ‘full circle moment” that showcases how our work is impacting people every day.
Email from Jennifer Loncaric Subject: What we do works.
“I thought you might like this. That’s a note my daughter wrote when she helped make comfort kits with Jasmine a few months ago. The girl holding it was also there helping that day. She is Trina’s (my co-leader) step-daughter. Their house was burnt early Sunday morning after a mortar hit the front porch. We don’t know how long they will be displaced, but the Red Cross visited them today with some help. It’s a beautiful thing to see the joy on her face from something so small in such a tragic time for her family. I am overwhelmed with emotion knowing my girls have had such a local and personal impact.”
Thanks to the kind efforts of local girl scout troops, many families struck by home fires have received useful Red Cross Comfort Kits during such a stressful time in their lives. Jasmine Su an HSS instructor and Girl Scout troop leader helped to create these kits through the help of her troops. Here is a picture of one of her troop members holding a very heartfelt message which was addressed to the family that suffered from the tragedy.
We take much pleasure in sharing this moment to demonstrate the positive support of these young ladies during times of stress.
All in one day, a home fire, a hurricane, or even a sudden accident can change a person’s life, leaving him or her feeling helpless. Thanks to generous donors, the Red Cross is able to respond, providing hope and lifesaving assistance when it is needed most.
Home Fires are the biggest disaster threat people face in this country. Every eight minutes, someone in the US the Red Cross responds to the home fire. Last year, the Gold Country Region alone responded to 645 local disasters.
Most of these disasters never make the news. That doesn’t mean these disasters are any less devastating to the families affected.
On June 2, 2015, the entire American Red Cross community will unite to launch our first nationwide Giving Day. Our goal is to inspire the single largest day ever of giving to the Red Cross outside of major disasters. Families, friends and coworkers across the nation will come together to sustain critical Red Cross support. All in one day, thousands of people will help ensure that survivors of disasters large and small, patients in need of blood, and military families will not face crises alone.
How can you help?
Make a Gift
When you make this gift, you go all in—providing aid to military families, ensuring a stable blood supply for our nation, saving children around the world from preventable diseases like measles, providing lifesaving trainings, and enabling the Red Cross to respond, on average, to a staggering 190 disasters each and every day. Your gift on or in advance of Giving Day will help ensure the Red Cross is there for years to come.
SET IT AND FORGET IT
For those who like to plan ahead (or are worried you’ll forget come June 2), we set up a Giving Day donation option just for you!
Now through June 1, you can simply visit the Giving Day website, enter your information, and your donation will be processed on June 2 along with all other Giving Day donations.
This method frees up your time on June 2 so you don’t miss out on being a part of Giving Day activities in your community.
HOW WILL I MAKE AN IMPACT ON GIVING DAY?
One day can change a person’s life in a way they didn’t expect, in a way that left them feeling helpless. Your support allows the Red Cross to be there so people in need can get back on their feet.
People like Pablo in Calaveras, who overcame a tragic house fire; “The Red Cross gave me hope. They showed me the best in people.”
Or Denise, a client from the Boles Fire in Weed: “When you give even a little from the heart, it means the world to someone who has lost so much.”
Thanks to generous people like you, the Red Cross is able to respond to emergencies and provide life-saving training.
HOW ELSE CAN I HELP?
You can also sign up to be a Giving Day Social Ambassador. We’ll provide a toolkit with easily customizable, click and paste social posts and images for you to use. It’s easy to sign up – go to https://givingday.redcross.org/#ambassadors
Thank you for helping to bring more good days! #allin1day
On June 2, let’s go “all in” and make this day count. Schedule your donation today for Giving Day at redcross.org/givingday. You can also help build awareness by using the hashtag #allin1day on Twitter and Facebook.
On April 25 a devastating earthquake struck Nepal, and to date more than 5,000 people are confirmed to have died. The citizens of Nepal, the surrounding countries and over 300,000 tourists are sleeping in the streets as the aftershocks continue. The American Red Cross is actively assisting the Nepal Red Cross with personnel, emergency supplies and cash.
On Wednesday, April 29, the Gold Country Region held a 15-hour telethon hosted by KCRA and raised nearly $500,000 to support this effort! Whenever the need has arisen, Gold Country donors have consistently stepped forward to help those who have lost everything, and we are incredibly grateful for that support!
You may have heard that on Tuesday, May 5 the nonprofit organizations in the greater Sacramento area will participate in “The Big Day of Giving” and hope to raise $5,000,000 for the people in our community. While the support for Nepal was awe-inspiring, the truth is that the need here at home is just as significant. Red Cross volunteers respond to a local home fire or other disaster EVERY 11 HOURS.
The people we help tell us that even though we are known for large disasters, to anyone who loses their home it doesn’t matter how widespread the disaster is. What matters is that when everything is lost, the Red Cross is there to provide food, shelter, medical support and comfort. We are able to do this solely thanks to the generosity of our donors.
When the Big Day of Giving comes to town next Tuesday, we hope you will be able to support the Red Cross once again. The next fire we are called to could be in your town, your neighborhood – it could be your own home. If you
supported the people of Nepal on the 29th, we thank you and ask that you consider giving again to help your neighbors as generlously as you helped a stranger. If you cannot we ask that you forward this email to friends who may still be looking for the right charity to support on May 5.
Thank you,
Kathleen Weis, CEO
American Red Cross Gold Country Region
Written by Debbie Calcote, Disaster Program Manager (Tuolumne & Stanislaus Counties), Red Cross Capital Region
Debbie Calcote (R) provides direction for Red Cross volunteers during a recent fire safety canvassing event in Turlock, CA.
In 2005, like many other people, I was devastated by what I was seeing in the media about Hurricane Katrina. The sadness and total devastation of so many things and people was almost more than I could bear.
Gold Country News and Notes 