Tag Archives: american-red-cross

This One Felt Different

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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.

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The Sisterly Connection: A Bonding Blood Donation Experience 

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The American Red Cross has many blood and platelet donors with different motives when it comes to visiting our blood donation centers and sharing the gift of life. These are just some of the many reasons that inspire the Chang sisters, Angie and Annie, to spend quality time together, creating a special bond as they donate blood.  

Angie and Annie Chang at their favorite ice cream parlor near the Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Oakland. Photo courtesy of Angie Chang 

They have both been rolling up their sleeves to donate blood or platelets for more than a decade with their preferred location being the Oakland Blood Donation Center. Sometimes they donate on separate occasions or different Red Cross blood centers but they enjoy donating together most of all. They’ve been able to build fond memories with each other, with the blood center volunteers and particularly enjoy the variety of snacks in the canteening area. Donating blood gives them extra quality time to hang out and catch up with each other while saving lives!  

Angie has been able to donate more than 18 units of blood and also serves as an inspiration to her younger sister. Her bravery and consistency helped Annie get over her fears of donating for the first time.

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