Category Archives: Homepage Posts — Other

Bringing Comfort and Hope Through Spiritual Care from the American Red Cross 

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Reflections by Cindy Huge, American Red Cross Volunteer

I frequently think of you, Isaiah*, and feel grateful that our paths crossed.

On the evening of October 9, 2024, you were sitting alone on a cot in a hallway, with just one small bag holding the few belongings you had left. The shelter, filled with nearly 500 people displaced by Hurricane Milton, was too noisy for you to sleep. The Category 3 hurricane had just made landfall on Siesta Key, Florida.

I approached you, introduced myself, and invited you to have lunch with me. That simple invitation became the beginning of a meaningful connection.

American Red Cross volunteer Cindy Huge. Photo courtesy of Cindy Huge.
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A Community United after Tragedy in Oakland 

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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee visited the Oakland shelter to meet those affected by the fire. Photographer: Chris Raponi | American Red Cross

By: Carolina Dratva, American Red Cross Volunteer

When I arrived at a shelter in Oakland, Calif., set up in the wake of a devastating apartment fire, I immediately noticed a young girl. She was no older than 13 and was caring for her six-month-old sister, the youngest resident in the shelter. I could only imagine the fear and uncertainty they must have experienced after being forced to evacuate a fire so severe that it left approximately 70 people displaced and sent four people to the hospital.

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National Award Recognizes Local Disaster Responder 

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By Alex Keilty, American Red Cross Volunteer 

How does one American Red Cross award recipient know her volunteer work is helping people?

Jody loading up a trunk with free smoke alarms

“It’s the look of relief when someone realizes they have a safe place to go, when a family gets the help they need to take their next step, or when someone who has lost so much realizes they aren’t facing it alone,” Red Cross Volunteer Jody Kimbrel says. Jody has seen that relieved expression on people’s faces countless times while responding to 70 major disasters, including Hurricane Helene and wildfires in Maui and California.

In recognition of her efforts, Jody was awarded the Bob Hassmiller Excellence in Disaster Services Award in Washington, D.C. in April this year. This national level award celebrates a volunteer who has made a significant, positive impact on the American Red Cross, the community and the people we serve in the areas of disaster preparedness, response, or recovery.

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Training Kicks In: Capitola Police Sergeant Honored for Saving Child’s Life 

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By: Dave Sieburg, interim executive director of the American Red Cross Central Coast Chapter

Capitola Police Sgt. Scott Newton receives the American Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action at a Capitola City Council meeting. Newton is joined by fellow department staff and 911 dispatchers, who also received a proclamation from the mayor of Capitola recognizing their roles in the lifesaving response.

When Capitola Police Sgt. Scott Newton responded to a priority call in the Opal Cliffs area on March 31, he didn’t know he was about to face a moment that would stay with him long after the emergency was over. 

As Newton arrived in the area, a woman ran from a residence and flagged him down. He followed her inside and found her 11-month-old granddaughter unconscious and not breathing after choking on an object. The child’s mother was performing CPR while receiving instructions from a 911 dispatcher.

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One Year Later: Resilience (and Romance) in the Wake of Devastating Disaster

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Story and photos by Barbara Wood, American Red Cross volunteer

Polina Ken searches through the ashes on her property. She saved almost nothing from the flames because she was outside watering down her home when she was told to evacuate, jumping in her car with only her phone and the clothes she was wearing after trying unsuccessfully to find her dog, Waldo.   

What happened to Polina Ken one year ago on September 2, 2025, when a lightning-sparked fire turned her Chinese Camp home and almost everything she owned to ash and mangled metal, might lead some to self-pity.  

Not Polina, who as a Cambodian refugee has had to rebuild her life from scratch more than once.   

“I’m tough. I do anything to survive. I don’t give up,” Polina said after the fire.   

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Red Cross Volunteers Distribute Emergency Supplies Along the Road to Recovery 

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Red Cross volunteer Marcel on holiday

By Alex Keilty, American Red Cross Volunteer

“A little bit of physical work and a lot of satisfaction,” is how one American Red Cross volunteer describes his experience distributing emergency supplies after a disaster. It’s a simple description from Marcel Pajuelo-Schwartz, but it captures the heart of the distribution of emergency supplies volunteer role perfectly. The physical work comes from lifting and carrying buckets of essential items, while the satisfaction comes from knowing you have helped people in a real, hands-on way when they need it most. 

Marcel, who lives in Daly City, Calif., has been a Red Cross volunteer since 1967. He has tried many volunteer roles over the years but he especially enjoys this one. His efforts to distribute emergency supplies play a critical role in helping individuals and families recover in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. His role is to provide items essential to basic survival, health and sanitation as quickly and equitably as possible to people whose homes and neighborhoods have been affected. These essential supplies may include flashlights, food coolers, buckets, shovels, masks, gloves, cleaning products and garbage bags — everything people need to begin cleaning up their yards and their homes after a disaster turns life upside down. 

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