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Creative Collaboration Between Red Cross and Community Partners Solves Problems in a Disaster Zone 

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Local school bus drivers helped distribute food in Guam after a typhoon

After a massive typhoon hit Guam in 2023, people on the islands were struggling to feed their families. While the American Red Cross had set up a shelter to house people whose homes had been damaged, there were many people in the community who were not staying at the shelter but still needed food and water. Red Cross leaders wondered, how can we get food to the local community, when there are no street signs for navigating and we don’t have a fleet of vehicles here? Bus drivers were the answer! So, the Red Cross worked with the school district in Guam to distribute meals on school buses because the drivers knew the streets well and had transportation available already. 

After some time, Red Cross leadership was considering ending the feeding program in the community, but the volunteers in the field were concerned. They drove around to all the local bodegas and there was “nothing there” on the shelves, says Briana Taylor, Red Cross volunteer. “We went back and said, ‘You can’t stop feeding until we have food in the markets.’ People wouldn’t have had any resources to provide food for their families.” 

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From PSYOP to Public Affairs: Honoring a Veteran and Volunteer Leader

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Colonel (Retired) Larry Dietz, US Army (left) and Dr. Liz Dietz, EdD, RN (right) take a break at the Moffett Field Veterans Fair.

When Larry Dietz first walked into an American Red Cross meeting 25 years ago, he brought with him a lifetime of service, first to his country, then to his community. A decorated veteran with a distinguished career in psychological operations (PSYOP), military intelligence and law, Larry understood the power of communication and humanitarian principles. Today, as the recipient of the Red Cross Clara Barton Award, the highest honor for volunteer achievement at the chapter level, Larry’s legacy reflects both his military roots and his commitment to the Red Cross mission.

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Valley Onward and the Red Cross: Building a Culture of Preparedness in Merced County

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As floods ravaged Planada, a small community in central California’s Merced County in 2023, Valley Onward, a local community non-profit organization, deployed its resources to help the local community respond and recover. They advised local residents on how to apply for financial assistance and led community discussions on where to find resources. As part of that process, Valley Onward applied for a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services to bolster its response to the floods and create a more resilient community in Merced County. For Valley Onward, the eventual funding it received was a pleasant surprise. It would allow Valley Onward to strengthen its mission of creating lasting changes in health, housing, education and other areas. There were more surprises to come, however. 

The Valley Onward team applied for a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services.

That is because before applying for the grant, Valley Onward began researching other emergency service organizations in Merced County. As Valley Onward project manager Joana Alfaro explains, “That’s when we first heard about the American Red Cross. We realized there were so many different ways to support and work with the Red Cross.”

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40 Pints: A Life, a Loss, and a Lifesaving Mission

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One day in April 2021, George Delaney lay in a Boston, Massachusetts hospital. He was exhausted. It had been a long four months. In January 2021, doctors diagnosed him with bladder cancer. At first, they thought it would be a “small problem,” his wife, Bridget, recounts, “but it became a big problem. Everything they tried exhausted him.”

Bridget Delaney-Messana (left) and George Delaney (right) in a vibrant garden—a reminder of their incredible journey together.

During his treatment, blood transfusions were his lifeline and an important source of relief. The tumor made George bleed profusely. It tired him and “made him incredibly anemic,” says Bridget. Blood transfusions were “his survival for many months. It was the only way he got relief and energy.”

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Red Cross Supports Alliance on Aging with EV Donation 

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By Mark Phillips, board member of the Central Coast Chapter 

The United States is facing a “silver tsunami” as the Baby Boom generation leaves the workforce and begins to enter old age. Based in the heart of California’s Salinas Valley, the nonprofit Alliance on Aging is dedicated to supporting this population in a region that has often been underserved. The American Red Cross, through its Community Adaptation Program (CAP), is proud to support this vital organization with the donation of a Chevrolet BrightDrop electric van that will allow the organization to support vulnerable people during a disaster.

The Chevrolet BrightDrop electric van donated from the American Red Cross to Alliance on Aging.
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Red Cross Volunteers Mobilize Rapid Shelter Response After San José Blaze

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Red Crosser Rux Muys-Stoian (left) with little Isela and her mother Paris. They were happy to find help at the shelter after a fire forced them out of their home. “The meals are what I am thankful for,” Paris said. Photo by Fernando Elias, American Red Cross 

By Diane St. Denis, Disaster Response Operation director 

On September 25, 2025, the Silicon Valley Red Cross Disaster Action Team responded to a 22-unit apartment fire in San José that displaced more than 70 residents. American Red Cross volunteers arrived on the scene to comfort affected residents, while other Red Cross volunteers, in cooperation with the City of San José, opened a shelter at Camden Community Center, offering families a safe place to rest, have warm meals and snacks and most importantly, connections to Red Cross services to support their recovery journey. 

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