John Crepeau has been a proud Red Crosser since 2017. Over the years, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty, serving as a Disaster Action Team supervisor, fleet coordinator and member of the Logistics team. He’s even served as a blood donor ambassador, supporting the collection staff and blood donors in drives across the Central Coast Chapter.
John’s motivation to volunteer comes from his late mother, “who was always willing to donate in any small way she could,” he fondly remembers. Her legacy of generosity continues to drive John’s commitment to making a difference in his community.
The Red Cross mission is possible thanks to the generosity of our donors and the power of volunteers, and Veronica Oberholzer knows firsthand how impactful both can be.
In her role as Regional Development Operations Manager, she works alongside a team of fundraisers and volunteers to ensure that we can deliver help and bring hope to those affected by disasters. This July, for the first time, she deployed to Houston, Texas, to support those affected by Hurricane Beryl after it struck the Texas coast.
“It was interesting to see how the money we raise gets spent and rewarding to see it helping people,” Veronica said.
1,236 smoke alarms installed throughout the Northern California Coastal Region in April
Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly, can save you and your loved ones by cutting the risk of dying in half.
The American Red Cross responds to home fires more than any other disaster combined and for that reason, in April, our, along with local fire departments and community partners, installed 1,236 free smoke alarms, making 452 homes safer and provided home fire prevention and safety information to 1,210 local residents.
Hans Cardenas (right) and Hanna Malak -Regional CEO- at a Sound the Alarm Event
Hans Cardenas is a man on a mission: he aims to make 100 homes safer by installing free smoke alarms with the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm program. And he is more than halfway there already!
Sound the Alarm is part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which aims to reduce the number of deaths from home fires. This campaign has helped save 2,063 lives since its launch in October 2014. Here in the Northern California Coastal Region, volunteers and partners have installed more than 48,500 free smoke alarms and made more than 18,000 households safer since 2014.
“I’ve made 57 homes safer since I started on May 14, 2020. Working with different teams, we installed 171 alarms,” he detailed.
Hans’ journey with the Red Cross started in 2020 as a Senior Philanthropy Officer with the Regional Fund Development Team. He spent two years facilitating financial donations from individuals across the Northern California Coastal Region. Through his role, he forged connections with donors, aligning their priorities with the Red Cross mission, which includes disaster relief, blood donation and community support. As of December 2023, he transitioned to a similar position with the San Francisco Opera. Despite his busy schedule, he still finds time to install free smoke alarms with his fellow Red Crossers, visiting communities at risk for home fires across the region. “We, the fundraisers, are very goal oriented. I was just being audacious by choosing such (a) number, but also trying to stay engaged with something I really enjoy doing,” he explained.
The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold.
Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products – among the most transfused blood types – to hospitals.
Photo by Alex Keilty – American Red Cross
Small changes in blood donor turnout can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of an emergency blood transfusion. More challenges may lie ahead as the potential for severe winter weather and seasonal illness may compound the dire blood supply situation. Donors of all types – especially those with type O blood and those giving platelets – are urged to give now.
The Red Cross and the National Football League (NFL) are partnering this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals to give blood or platelets and help tackle the emergency blood shortage. Those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Super Bowl.
Our Disaster Cycle Services Team and the and Heart of the Valley Chapter Leadership celebrating Nancy and her dedication to the Red Cross Mission.
Nancy Reeves is retiring as a Red Cross volunteer after 17 years, and everyone in the Heart of the Valley Chapter and Northern California Coastal region will deeply miss her.
Her journey with the Red Cross started in 2007 when she joined the Disaster Action Team in Stanislaus County. She was a dedicated volunteer. Her colleagues often say that Nancy is “always there when the Red Cross calls.”
She fulfilled several roles over the years, displaying solid professionalism in each opportunity. She was a Disaster Action Team (DAT) Supervisor, Duty Officer, Disaster Responder, and Disaster Services Chair. She was also a remarkable trainer and mentor for new DAT volunteers, always happy to share her extensive knowledge and experience with them.
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