Photos and reporting by Barbara Wood/Red Cross volunteer The Galvan Alvarez family was sound asleep in their South San Francisco apartment in the early hours
Featured Posts
Other Recent Posts
“A powerhouse of wonderful human beings” – Meet some of our Emergency Response Vehicle drivers
When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross is there to help, from large-scale events, like floods and wildfires to local emergencies, like home fires. And
“It’s not just the support you bring, but the positivity that comes along with it.” – An Interview with Wyn Davies, Red Cross Disaster Action Team member
American Red Cross volunteers come from many diverse backgrounds, with different life experiences, but they all have something in common: they want to help others
Full Circle: Red Cross Home Fire Campaign
American Red Cross volunteers Ron Redmond and Don Powell recently visited the home of Martinez, California resident, Burnie Gipson, to install smoke alarms. Burnie moved to the area after suffering a home fire at his previous residence in San Francisco.
The Spirit of Volunteerism: Celebrating our Volunteers of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award is the highest honor a volunteer can achieve within our chapters, awarded annually to the individuals who best exemplify the spirit of volunteerism.
“It’s time for me to give back,” Red Cross Volunteer of the Year says
Although she became a Red Cross volunteer in November 2019, just months before COVID-19 changed everyone’s lives, Marin County’s Marcia Antipa jumped in with both feet and quickly became involved in Red Cross activities throughout the Northern California Coastal Region.
Meet Angela Thompson Hunt: Turning Compassion into Action
“Over the years, I’ve seen the American Red Cross assist people in their recovery from disasters. I knew I wanted to volunteer someday.”
A Spirit to Serve
Jamshid Kiani’s path to the American Red Cross is a familiar one for many volunteers: he was led by a spirit to serve others. Media coverage of Red Cross disaster response in 2015 had piqued his interest, so he sought to learn more.
“A few months after retiring from my job as a chef at a private resort, preparing up to 1200 meals per day, I saw a news item showing Red Cross volunteers providing food and other items to affected clients. I was moved, and I thought to myself ‘I have the knowledge and ability to help with this,’ so I went online to see what the Red Cross is all about.”
“I Want To Do That!”
Barbara is a retired professional newspaper reporter, who has served in many positions with the Red Cross. Now, she is a public affairs volunteer, reporting on the Red Cross efforts to help those affected by wildfires, floods, tornadoes and other disasters.
Meet April Thacker: Making a Difference, One Family at a Time
When glancing through the list of April Thacker’s many American Red Cross volunteer roles, it’s easy to see why her peers describe her as “the Red Cross mission in action.”
Meet Stuart Chessen. Lifelong Volunteer, Dedicated Red Crosser
Stuart Chessen knows the value of preparedness, but also the power of helping people in their darkest moments.
A First Deployment: Telling The Red Cross Story During a Wildfire
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to volunteer for the American Red Cross during a disaster – take a look back with me at my first deployment experience – to the Caldor Fire in California. I am a Public Affairs volunteer with the Northern California Coastal Region. After retiring from a career in broadcast journalism, I now tell stories for the Red Cross.
Sound the Alarm: Red Crossers make hundreds of local homes safer throughout the month of May
By Martin Gagliano, Alex Keilty, Jenny Arrieta & Marcia Antipa Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. and remain one of the
Service to the Armed Forces Volunteers Support ‘Wings Over Solano’ at Travis Air Force Base
By Larry Dietz, Public Affairs Officer The U.S. Air Force hosted their annual Wings Over Solano Air Show at Travis Air Force Base on May
Missing But Never Forgotten: Red Cross Program Reconnects Families
By Alex Keilty After retiring, some people play golf and some people play bridge, but Christine Medeiros plays amateur detective. Christine is a volunteer caseworker
Disaster Response: From Behind the Scenes to the Front Lines
When Cameron Bochman was completing his accounting degree in North Carolina did he ever imagine his work would take him to a meeting with FBI agents who were investigating a helicopter crash in New York City? No he didn’t, because his career path has been anything but predictable.
A Welcoming Presence
Ebony Jean Daniel has served as a Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassador – and friendly face – at the Oakland Blood Center for two and a half years, much of that time spent during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had the free time and felt that it was worth it to give the hours I give every week – to take the burden off others,” she said.
A Track Record for Saving Lives
There was that one time Ian Wigley gave CPR to a gentleman at a card game, and then there were those other times — at a wedding, a family gathering, and a restaurant — that he helped people who were choking. It’s fair to say that Ian, an Instructor Trainer with the American Red Cross, has a great track record for saving lives.
The Cost of War
“It’s just better for humanity that everyone knows about it.”
Bay Area teen Janaki Rakesh is talking about International Humanitarian Law (IHL), a set of rules developed under the Geneva Conventions designed to limit the impacts of armed conflict.
A Day at the San Jose Blood, Platelet and Plasma Donation Center
Have you every wondered what a day in the life at our San Jose Blood, Platelet and Plasma Donation Center is like? Meet a handful of the people that make the lifesaving work of the Red Cross possible – a volunteer, a phlebotomist and a blood donor.
Mo Ghandehari – Disaster Action Team Volunteer Extraordinaire
American Red Cross Volunteer Mo Ghandehari is an incredible example of the Red Cross mission – and of the caring and dedicated individuals who do what it takes to accomplish that mission.
Your Red Cross Update 