Tag Archives: Bay Area

A Childhood Dream, A Lifetime of Service 

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Oakland Fire Captain and Red Cross Volunteer Brian Oftedal attends Career Day at Ron Nunn Elementary School in Brentwood with his daughter, Camryn.
Photo courtesy of Brian Oftedal

From the time he was a little boy, Oakland Fire Captain Brian Oftedal knew he wanted to be a firefighter. Brian laughs about writing an autobiography in kindergarten, “I talked about how when I grow up, I wanted to be a firefighter-paramedic, just like John Gage and Roy DeSoto in “Emergency.” With my friends, our bikes would be our emergency vehicles and we would open and close the garage door and respond to calls.”

It didn’t take long for Brian to fulfill his lifelong dream, and in the process, to make a decades-long connection with the Red Cross. As a teenager, Brian took part in the Paramedic Explorer program, got his EMT certificate, and took the Red Cross Professional Rescuer CPR and First Aid Class.  “Brian was born to serve,” says Eva Marquez, American Red Cross Volunteer Engagement Manager. “He was in high school when he started and was the youngest volunteer on our team. I would see him volunteering at the Red Cross First Aid Station at the Livermore Wente Winery during their concert or co-teaching a CPR/First Aid class with a big smile.”

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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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‘I’m Halfway There!’ A Red Cross Volunteer’s Journey to Safeguard 100 Homes and Empower Communities Through Fire Safety

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Hans Cardenas (right) and Hanna Malak -Regional CEO- at a Sound the Alarm Event

Hans Cardenas is a man on a mission: he aims to make 100 homes safer by installing free smoke alarms with the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm program. And he is more than halfway there already!

Sound the Alarm is part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which aims to reduce the number of deaths from home fires. This campaign has helped save 2,063 lives since its launch in October 2014. Here in the Northern California Coastal Region, volunteers and partners have installed more than 48,500 free smoke alarms and made more than 18,000 households safer since 2014.

“I’ve made 57 homes safer since I started on May 14, 2020. Working with different teams, we installed 171 alarms,” he detailed.

Hans’ journey with the Red Cross started in 2020 as a Senior Philanthropy Officer with the Regional Fund Development Team. He spent two years facilitating financial donations from individuals across the Northern California Coastal Region. Through his role, he forged connections with donors, aligning their priorities with the Red Cross mission, which includes disaster relief, blood donation and community support. As of December 2023, he transitioned to a similar position with the San Francisco Opera. Despite his busy schedule, he still finds time to install free smoke alarms with his fellow Red Crossers, visiting communities at risk for home fires across the region. “We, the fundraisers, are very goal oriented. I was just being audacious by choosing such (a) number, but also trying to stay engaged with something I really enjoy doing,” he explained.

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More Than a Passion: Red Crosser Vicki Pelton Shares Her Life’s Work

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Photo Courtesy of Vicki Pelton / American Red Cross

Born and raised in California, Vicki Pelton was deeply inspired to help people after a nine-month trip to Africa. Seeing poverty-stricken people tugged at her heartstrings and she felt compelled deeply to give back in some way. Once back on U.S. soil, the Mountain View resident signed up with the Palo Alto Area Chapter of the Red Cross (currently known as the Silicon Valley Chapter), beginning her 34-year journey as a Red Cross volunteer.

Over the years, Vicki has learned and fulfilled multiple roles, or Group-Activity-Positions (GAP) with the Red Cross, including Recovery, Logistics, and Disaster Services Technology (DST). She enjoys the fact that the Red Cross constantly creates new positions and provides opportunities to train for those new roles. She just finished training for a position within the Disaster Cycle Services team as part of the E3 initiative: Every Shelter, Every Day and Every Need. This initiative streamlines the supply distribution for all shelters during a Disaster Response Operation.

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Spotlight on the Region’s Chapter Board Chairs

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By Chloe Li

At the heart of the Red Cross’s vast network lies an essential role: that of the Board of Director’s Chair for a local chapter. These individuals play a pivotal part in guiding community leaders and leading their respective chapters to fulfill the organization’s mission to alleviate human suffering.

Our region’s five Chapter Board Chairs share their inspiration for joining the Red Cross below, and the critical responsibilities and significant contributions they hope to make in the community. We thank all our Board Members for their dedication, commitment and impact to ensure the Red Cross remains a beacon of hope and support when it is needed most.

To learn more about our chapters within the Northern California Coastal Region and our Board Members, visit: redcross.org/norcalcoastal

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Paying it forward: Red Cross Platelet Donor Achieves 100-gallon Milestone

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Craig Wilson donating platelets
Photo by Martin Gagliano – American Red Cross

“I believe that when you receive blessings in life then you really have to give something back,” said Craig Wilson, a platelet donor who has reached an incredible 100th-gallon milestone at the Oakland Blood Donation Center. “I’ve been blessed with good health, and this is my way to pay it forward. Even if I’m not getting anything out of this -well, I get a T-shirt sometimes- it doesn’t matter because I know I’m helping the community. That’s the point”.

Craig started donating blood in Chicago around 1978. “There was a need for blood donors and I decided to donate for the first time. I did it a couple of times in the year, but with not much awareness,” he remembers.

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