Recognizing Susan Winters, Heart of the Valley Chapter’s Clara Barton Award Winner
By Selena Nisha
Photo courtesy of Susan Winters
After retiring from a career as a speech therapist and school secretary, Susan Winters from Modesto, California found herself searching for new ways to stay engaged in her community. Susan has always believed in the importance of giving back. Her parents were active in community service and instilled in her the values of volunteerism and compassion towards others. This passion for service led her to the American Red Cross in 2010, and her contribution to the organization was recently recognized with the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Leadership. Named after the founder of the Red Cross, the award recognizes a volunteer for their years of service in various leadership positions.
A Red Cross volunteer shares what the Loma Prieta earthquake – and the hours that followed – were like from the Red Cross office in San Jose.
A Red Cross worker surveys the damage caused by the Lomo Prieta earthquake in the Santa Cruz area.
By Franci Collins, Red Cross Volunteer
I will always remember where I was at 5:04 p.m. on October 17, 1989. I had just walked into the San Jose Chapter of the Red Cross. Coincidentally, I was scheduled to teach an earthquake preparedness class that night, the first in several months as classes were often cancelled due to lack of enrollment. I wanted to get there before 5 p.m. to make sure all the equipment was available and working.
The slide projector was on a table right inside the classroom door and I had just turned it on and off when the ground started shaking. I am happy to say that my six years of training paid off, as I immediately ducked under the table and held on. The shaking seemed to go on for an extremely long time and I spent most of it imagining the slide projector being progressively shaken towards the edge of the table. I had time to decide that if it fell off, I would stay where I was and not try to save it.
Red Crossers Sophie Rebecca (left) and Eleanor Najjar greet Fleet Week visitors. Photo by Alex Keilty – American Red Cross
By Alex Keilty
She was sprawled on the ground with her arms and face covered in bruises. “I remember the firefighter scooping me up,” says Sophie Rebecca Najjar. She was just 6 years old and it was her introduction to the American Red Cross. Lucky for Sophie, the firefighter was real, but the bruises were not. She had been painted with makeup to look like a victim for a disaster practice exercise she attended with her mom. She had a great time that day!
Prior to becoming a longtime community preparedness volunteer with the American Red Cross, John Earthy reminisces about his time traveling across Southeast Asia stating, “It was my passion helping individuals, teams and organizations achieve their aspirations and missions. I took myself trekking alone for several years across Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, mostly out in remote villages. In time I found myself absorbed in the day to day lives of villagers, survival and the simpler things in life that brought safety, comfort and happiness.”
In the floods of 1981-82, the residents of the San Francisco Bay Area were surrounded by 25-inch rainfalls that hit the mountains ruthlessly, causing 33 deaths and damaging over 7,800 homes and businesses. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, the heavy rains triggered mudslides that blocked road access to the upper regions, burying buildings and trapping people.
Jill Hofmann, a licensed marriage, family and child therapist, was one of the residents of Santa Cruz County who was recruited to be part of the County Mental Health Team in 1981, quickly arose to support impacted residents, providing grief counseling and helping them cope.
However, the physical and mental efforts she remembered enduring, such as visiting community shelters or climbing over tree trunks to deliver packaged food, were just the beginning of her story as a Red Crosser. In fact, during the floods, Jill truly saw the lasting kindness and compassion of her fellow volunteers, after which she began her own journey of 43 years as a Red Cross volunteer.
Rishi Leung and his family Photo courtesy of Rishi Leung
In December 2023, Rishi Leung, a 16-year-old in his home in San Francisco, was heading to the kitchen to get a drink when he noticed his grandma walking to the sink and losing her balance. She had just been eating a meal and seeing her disoriented was unusual. He said, “She spun and fell over and that was the moment I realized that something wasn’t right.”
He ran over to assess the situation and help her. His grandma was visibly struggling to speak and thanks to Rishi’s encounter with American Red Cross posters around his school and videos online, he realized his grandma might be choking. In that moment, Rishi remained composed despite the adrenaline coursing through his body and took the initiative to perform abdominal thrusts on his grandma. “I remembered seeing this in the videos. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had to try to help her,” Rishi explained.
Photo courtesy of Rishi Leung
Rishi’s efforts were successful. Anita, Rishi’s mother, observed from a distance while battling COVID-19 at the time. “I watched Rishi help his grandma and call 911. I was very grateful that he acted, and I remember four EMTs [emergency medical technicians] entering our house with their equipment,” she recalled. “It was a very scary experience, especially since Rishi’s grandma couldn’t speak English. But knowing Rishi was in the ambulance with her brought reassurance.”
During the ambulance ride, Rishi comforted his grandma, translating for her and holding her hand. At the hospital, Rishi watched as medical professionals attended to his grandma, feeling a wave of relief knowing she was going to recover. “I’m very grateful that I was able to help her, and from this experience, I’ve learned how important it is to spend time with family,” Rishi exclaimed.
His family members and relatives were also grateful for Rishi for taking the lead. “He showed up in an emergency in a way that left us all in awe. We were all grateful that he was there and that he was inclined to help people and solve problems,” Anita said. Rishi and his family were glad that they had more time with his grandma.
Rishi Leung with his Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action Photo: American Red Cross
Reflecting on this experience, Rishi believes this was a transformative experience that reshaped his perspective and taught him important lessons. He values every moment spent with his ‘Nanni’ (grandmother in Hindi) and has gained a newfound appreciation for emergency responders. “I’ve learned that being prepared and living in the moment are crucial,” Rishi emphasized. “It means a lot to me that my efforts were recognized, and I plan to become CPR-certified through the Red Cross.”
In recognition of his bravery, Rishi was awarded the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action at the Presidio Golf Club on June 26, 2024. He has also initiated a machine learning project to monitor his grandma during meals, aiming to increase safety and bring awareness to eating habits. Lastly, Rishi encourages everyone to complete CPR training because “it can save a life, literally.”
