“I’ve been fortunate in my life, and there are a lot of people who haven’t been,” says Andy. “I’m glad for the opportunity to give back.”

“I’ve been fortunate in my life, and there are a lot of people who haven’t been,” says Andy. “I’m glad for the opportunity to give back.”
“When you’re trained and your staff is trained, it should run like clockwork. It should be like a well-rehearsed dance.”
“What would we do without Kevin? He is the silent backbone of Marin Red Cross.”
After speaking with Dave Dorman for 30 minutes, you might wonder if he does anything else outside of the Red Cross. He’s a self-described “semi-full-time volunteer.” This same unwavering dedication earned him the Regional Volunteer of the Year Award.
Almost thirty years after her first interaction with the Red Cross, Jane Jennings has won the Red Cross’s highest volunteer award, the Clara Barton Meritorious Leadership Award.
What I love most is the people – the clients AND the people that volunteer and work with the Red Cross. We make a real difference in client’s lives.
“Disaster is a great equalizer,” says John. “People may be separated by socio-economics, cultural differences, etc., but when a disaster hits, everyone finds themselves at the same level.”
Mariana Vimbela, who deployed as part a member of the Red Cross’ Latino Engagement Team’s response to the Glass Fire in October, says the deployment reinforced the importance of making connections in the affected communities in order to maximize our relief and recovery efforts.
On Thursday, September 17, Ken Toren, Chief Executive Officer, Red Cross Silicon Valley, presented James Bird with the American Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Action.
The wildfires that have caused so much devastation in our region since mid-August have prompted critically important responses by many Red Cross teams.
Mike and Ila Ervin, who fled their rural home near Santa Rosa as flames from the dangerous Glass Fire roared toward them, are very grateful for the Red Cross help they received during their evacuation.
Almost two dozen staff members from Esalen Institute were among the evacuees from the destructive Dolan Fire, giving them a front-row seat to the Red Cross response.
An upbeat man with a ready laugh, Bill now he admits being stunned by the evacuation. “As we were leaving, I was noticing all these cops coming up here, and I was thinking, wow, this is, like real.”
“I like being social and like to give back,” says BreAnna. “Our parents always said we were very blessed and that we should always give back. I thought the Red Cross was a way I could do that.”
Award-winning actor Casey Affleck and a friend helped CZU Fire evacuees as part of the large-scale Central Coast relief effort.
Anne is a recovery casework volunteer and spends her days calling people impacted by wildfires to offer Red Cross support services. As well as resources, Anne also spends long hours on the phone, offering one invaluable service: connection.
Dennis Patterson’s first love is playing music, but his second is helping others, so he was “blown away” by the American Red Cross’ response to the California Wildfires.
Vacaville area resident Karen Stickler, her husband, and their dog fled their home because of the LNU Fire, eventually finding a Red Cross shelter where they received care and comfort.
Waiting to learn the fate of her own home, which was in the path of the CZU Fire, Linnea Dunn did what brings great satisfaction to her: She helped others as a Red Cross volunteer.
Like so many American stories, Lillian’s begins with immigration, determination, and hard work.
At a one-day event in Salinas on July 27, more than two dozen volunteers from the Central Coast Chapter distributed lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE) to Monterey County practitioners who provide healthcare to local fieldworkers.