NorCal Fires (2017) | Your Red Cross Update

Category Archives: NorCal Fires (2017)

Meet Gene Beck Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient Betsy Witthohn

Posted on December 23, 2019 by LindsayRPeakAuthor

From the ashes of wildfires rise everyday heroes. Betsy Witthohn is one of them.

After reaching safety, the fire survivor recounts how time stood still two years ago until mandatory evacuation orders were lifted. Her mind was preoccupied with anxiety as she feared for the worst.

Returning to the area, she found the flames spared her residence. Many nearby were not as fortunate. That experience served as a catalyst to becoming a Red Cross volunteer. Her husband joined, as well.

Fire Weather Warnings Mark the 2017 California Wildfires Anniversary

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Cynthia Shaw

Two years ago today, our counties were struck by one of the most devastating disasters in recent memory. It has been extraordinary, and humbling, to see our communities come together and build back stronger from that terrible event.

Exactly two years to the day after the North Bay Fires, we are facing the nearly identical wind and fuel conditions lasting through the middle of this week. Fortunately, our community has learned important lessons and taken strong early action. Read more

Community togetherness in times of need

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Kathryn Hecht

By Lindsay R. Peak

Having survived the Valley Fire that decimated so much of Lake County in 2015, the mother/daughter duo of Kathleen Connors, 66, and Kelly Grimsley, 33, moved to Santa Rosa in August 2016 to make a “fresh start.” They had barely settled there when they heard the astonishing news in October 2017 of the threatening Tubbs Fire near their new home.

The two quickly fled, traveling toward Healdsburg in search of safety. A wrong turn landed them in Guerneville. Realizing their mistake, they looped back toward the freeway, eventually arriving at the emergency Red Cross shelter at Windsor High School in the early morning hours. Read more

Remembering last fall’s Northern California fires

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Jim Burns

During the devastating Northern California fires this past October, every person who fled their homes — and in many cases, lost them — has a story to tell. So do the many Red Cross people who heroically stepped up to help in response to one of the most destructive weeks of fires in the state’s history.

Read our 2017 California Wildfires One-Year Stewardship Report

A Tie That Binds

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Kathryn Hecht

American Red Cross volunteer Sierra Marcelius received the Gene Beck Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award in June of this year. When asked what the award meant to her on a personal level, Sierra reflects, “At the time it didn’t mean a lot; I didn’t do this to get an award. But now that I’ve left, it means a great deal. The people that I worked with thought I did a good job and valued my contribution to the team.” Read more

The Enduring Impact of Fire Relief in 2017

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Kathryn Hecht

A note from Stephanie Willett, Regional Director, Development Operations & Foundations:

I’m summarizing the attachments as slightly tricky to read.

A lovely note from Kyra Janssen in Santa Rosa. A gentleman gave Kyra a “fire discount” on a new coffee table. She’s working to “recreate a new home” after hers was destroyed on October 9^th last year in the North Bay Fires. He also offered to make a gift to an organization of her choice. She asked him to make a gift to the Red Cross.

The note was sent with a $50 check to us – and with thanks to the Red Cross from both of them.

As our recovery work on multiple California wildfires continues, and as we jump with energy into supporting relief operations for so many impacted by the current storms – I’m so moved by this note, sent almost a year after Kyra lost her home. To me, this note speaks to the incredible strength of our Red Cross team and the enduring impact of our work for so many people.

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