Tag Archives: Partners

Blood, Service and Sacrifice: A Major’s Lifelong Red Cross Connection

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Zahra (left) with her older sister, Crystal, enjoying the holidays circa 1993. – Photo courtesy of Zahra Moutabakkir

At just two years old, Zahra Moutabakkir was fighting for her life. Diagnosed with a mysterious autoimmune disease, she spent 12 weeks in the hospital, undergoing numerous blood transfusions as doctors struggled to save her. “My mom prayed for a miracle,” Zahra recalls, “and after weeks of uncertainty, my white blood cell count miraculously started to recover.” Those transfusions saved her life, leaving an impactful mark that would shape her future and create a lifelong bond with the American Red Cross while donning the honorable military uniform

“My connection to the Red Cross began as a child, and it’s been a constant in my life ever since,” Zahra says. “Without those blood transfusions, I wouldn’t be here. I’ve been donating blood ever since I could, knowing how important it is.”

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Red Cross Memories of the Maui Wildfires: Finding Meaning and Solutions after a Disaster 

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Reflections, One Year Later 

One August morning in 2023, Katie “Sully” Sullivan awoke to the first news segments about the Maui wildfires. An experienced American Red Cross Disaster Program Manager for Alameda County, she soon realized things were going to get bad. Later, the phone rang. It was American Red Cross national headquarters asking her to deploy. “Over the six years I’ve been with the Red Cross, I’ve seen the aftermath of large-scale disasters, from hurricanes to tornadoes to floods. Each brought unique challenges,” she recently said when remembering the disaster nearly a year later. But for Sully, this one stood out.  

Hurricane Dora crashing into Maui’s tinder-dry foliage on August 8, 2023, meant there was little warning for what would become the worst natural disaster in the archipelago’s recorded history. The result: the historic district of Lahaina was virtually vaporized—as were sections of Palehu and the smaller Upcountry community of Kula—causing approximately 100 fatalities. A year later, the effort to heal and rebuild is still underway.  

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Sound The Alarm:  452 Homes Are Now Safer Thanks to Red Cross Volunteers, Local Fire Department and Community Partners

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1,236 smoke alarms installed throughout the Northern California Coastal Region in April

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly, can save you and your loved ones by cutting the risk of dying in half.

The American Red Cross responds to home fires more than any other disaster combined and for that reason, in April, our, along with local fire departments and community partners, installed 1,236 free smoke alarms, making 452 homes safer and provided home fire prevention and safety information to 1,210 local residents.

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Carmel-by-the-Sea Chapter: A Legacy of Community and Compassion

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Then and now: Red Cross programs and services evolve while ensuring a strong community presence. 

In the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea, a chapter of Red Cross history has been penned over the last 107 years – a narrative of dedication, service and community support.

The roots of the former “Carmel Area Red Cross Chapter” began in 1916 with an inaugural meeting taking place at Carmel City Hall. Fifteen dedicated individuals were selected for the Board of Directors from a pool of 34 nominees, marking the beginning of a longstanding commitment to serving the community. 

The Carmel Pine Cone, a local community newspaper launched a year prior in 1915, has played a vital role in our history, with the second meeting of the Red Cross Chapter of Carmel announced in its pages on September 27, 1916. Founding officer Lilly Devendorf, whose name echoes throughout local Red Cross history, exemplifies the enduring relationship between the city, the newspaper, and our Chapter. 

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Looking back on 2021

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Please join us as we say goodbye to 2021 with a look back at some of our favorite stories of the year from all of our lines of service.

Service to the Armed Forces

Lisa Ann Rohr was one of nine Red Cross SAF Mobile personnel who left the U.S. for overseas duty from August 2020 to April 2021. Lisa Ann was one of two Red Crossers initially stationed in Iraq, at the diplomatic post Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center (BDSC).

She says: “My entire ‘boots on the ground’ experience providing virtual services in Emergency Communications Messaging Delivery and Service Member follow-up with my peers, to creative ‘no contact’ distribution of incoming holiday donations, gifts and personal care items, to organizing cooking classes, language classes, and cultural history classes for U.S. and Coalition military forces serving their deployment rotation at BDSC, was a dream come true!”

You can read more about Lisa’s experiences here.

Lifesaving Blood

Blood donor Jennifer Sahni credits the Red Cross for saving her life after a challenging childbirth. After delivery, Jennifer’s cesarean incision would not stop bleeding. She received two units of blood, which stabilized her. Two days later, she had to receive a second transfusion with an additional two units of blood. She was able to go home the next day.

“I am so grateful to the people who donated the blood I received,” Jennifer said. “Because of them, I was able to go home and be with my kids. You can read more about Jennifer’s story here.

Training Services

On Tuesday, March 16, two local residents were honored with American Red Cross commendations in a virtual ceremony hosted by the organization’s Central Coast Chapter.

“These two individuals exemplify the mission of the Red Cross to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies and are to be commended for their willingness to help others in distress.” – Michele Averill, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Central Coast Chapter. You can read more about Linda and Robert here.

International Services

Red Crossers and the public at large were invited to a speaker series to learn how the American Red Cross International Services team provides relief and hope in communities around the globe by reconnecting families separated by crises, helping rebuild communities devastated by disasters and working alongside health organizations to eliminated global disease. 

Featured panelists included Chris Losavio, Executive Director, Heart of the Valley Chapter American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region; Patrick Hamilton, Head of Delegation for the United States and Canada International Committee of the Red Cross; Koby J. Langley, Senior Vice President, Service to the Armed Forces and International Services American Red Cross; Christine Medeiros, Pacific Division Lead, Restoring Family Links American Red Cross. You can view a recording of the discussion here.

Disaster Services

Navy veteran Michael Ocaranza awoke earlier this year to flames engulfing his apartment. He had just enough time to grab his dog, Sparky, and race out the door as fire licked around his head.

American Red Cross volunteers and case managers, Betsy Witthohn and Cindy Jones, first contacted Mike during his hospitalization and began to put together resources for his welfare following his stay. During the recovery process, Mike says they became “like friends from the past that I never had before – it’s a good feeling all over.”

You can read more about Mike’s story here.

From all of us in Communications, Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year!

If you have a story lead for any one of our writers, please email us at NCCRPublicAffairs@redcross.org.

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