Category Archives: Homepage Posts — Other

You Don’t Have to Be a Chef to Feed a Community in Crisis 

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A wildfire near Santa Rosa, Calif. had forced more than 180,000 people to evacuate from their homes, and many would be looking for a place to stay. American Red Cross volunteers rushed to the Civic Center in San Rafael to open a shelter.    

Red Cross volunteer Anna Lane at the North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership meeting in Hopland, Calif.

Volunteer Anna Lane arrived to see that electricity had been cut for the entire county, although there were generators to provide power on site. She recalls, “The shelter manager said to me, ‘Anna, we need breakfast things, coffee and food, something.’ So I go to the grocery store, but the grocery stores are locked down because they have no power. They can’t open the doors.   

“I thought, ‘Where am I going to get stuff?’”  

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Michael Weber’s Decades of Donations to the Red Cross

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Michael donates blood at the Pleasanton Red Cross donation center, just a three-minute walk from his office at Simpson Strong-Tie.

The work of the American Red Cross would not be possible without the many volunteers and donors who selflessly continue to give their time and resources in support of the organization’s mission. Michael Weber is one of those supporters who has donated both blood and funds several times, exemplifying the values and company culture of his employer, Simpson Strong-Tie.

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Resilience After Disasters

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By Executive Director of Central Valley Chapter Lori Wilson

Lori Wilson (L) with Mayor Camacho (R).

CORRECTION (July 31, 2026): An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Mayor Camacho of Saipan as former Mayor Carlos Camacho from Guam. The error has been corrected.

In July, I had the privilege of touring the island of Saipan with Mayor Camacho as an Elected Official Liaison (EOL), visiting families whose lives have been deeply affected by Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi alongside him. As we went from home to home, we listened to their stories, learned about their most pressing needs and witnessed firsthand the remarkable resilience that continues to shine through despite so much loss and uncertainty.

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From Delegate to Staffer: In the Middle of Nowhere Surrounded by People I Didn’t Know

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When I first attended the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region’s Leadership Development Center (LDC) as a delegate during the summer of 2025, I thought it would simply be a one-time, four-day camp experience in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people I didn’t know. I never imagined I would come back to Redwood Glen Camp the following summer to help plan, coordinate and document as a staff member. When I applied, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I was just excited for the opportunity to meet new people and try something new. Looking back now, I’m grateful that LDC became so much more than a single camp experience and that each summer, I leave with much more than I could expect.

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Gale Carli’s Journey to Saipan Revealed the Best of Humanity After Disaster

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When retired nurse Gale Carli from San Mateo County arrived in Saipan seven days after Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated the U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, the signs of destruction were impossible to miss. 

Red Cross volunteer Gale Carli in Saipan.

“The electricity was off, so driving was treacherous,” Carli recalled. “There were trees down, power poles down, lights down, and you could tell that something disastrous had happened.” 

Sinlaku, an exceptionally powerful Category 5-equivalent storm, blew through the Northern Mariana Islands in mid-April, unleashing catastrophic flooding and sustained winds approaching 180 miles per hour. The storm left the tourism-dependent island struggling to recover. Trees were stripped bare, roads were littered with debris, and much of the lush tropical landscape had turned brown after exposure to salt water. 

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Mutual Support and Monthly Meals: The Red Cross Mission at Fisher House

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Connie Borrego (L), Roxanne Anderson (M) and Liz Dietz (R) serving dinner outdoors.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, has over 9 million veterans enrolled in its health care system. Veterans often require extensive medical care, which puts a strain on families who don’t live near VA hospitals yet want to be with their loved ones. A core mission of the American Red Cross is to provide humanitarian support to military members and their families and for the past two years, the Red Cross has partnered with Fisher House as a key resource for veteran families during health crises.

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