Tag Archives: Regional

From Delegate to Staffer: In the Middle of Nowhere Surrounded by People I Didn’t Know

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When I first attended the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region’s Leadership Development Center (LDC) as a delegate during the summer of 2025, I thought it would simply be a one-time, four-day camp experience in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people I didn’t know. I never imagined I would come back to Redwood Glen Camp the following summer to help plan, coordinate and document as a staff member. When I applied, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I was just excited for the opportunity to meet new people and try something new. Looking back now, I’m grateful that LDC became so much more than a single camp experience and that each summer, I leave with much more than I could expect.

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Gale Carli’s Journey to Saipan Revealed the Best of Humanity After Disaster

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When retired nurse Gale Carli from San Mateo County arrived in Saipan seven days after Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated the U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, the signs of destruction were impossible to miss. 

Red Cross volunteer Gale Carli in Saipan.

“The electricity was off, so driving was treacherous,” Carli recalled. “There were trees down, power poles down, lights down, and you could tell that something disastrous had happened.” 

Sinlaku, an exceptionally powerful Category 5-equivalent storm, blew through the Northern Mariana Islands in mid-April, unleashing catastrophic flooding and sustained winds approaching 180 miles per hour. The storm left the tourism-dependent island struggling to recover. Trees were stripped bare, roads were littered with debris, and much of the lush tropical landscape had turned brown after exposure to salt water. 

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A Quiet Presence After the Storm 

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In the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Helene in 2024, an American Red Cross volunteer noticed a boy sitting quietly in a shelter in Macon, Georgia. 

What began as a simple observation became something deeply meaningful. 

A Red Cross disaster mental health volunteer draws with a four-year-old staying at a shelter in Watsonville, Calif.

“There was a family that was in desperate need, and they had a child who they said didn’t talk to anyone,” recalls Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Leslie Grant. “And I said, ‘May I try talking with him?’ And I sat down on the floor. He was rolling a little car back and forth to himself. And I sat down about 10 feet away. And I just sat there. 

“And then I moved a little closer, and I slowly moved closer. And he rolled his car to me. And I introduced myself. And he rolled the car; we rolled it back and forth. 

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How to Give Blood as a Vegetarian 

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I walked into my American Red Cross blood donation appointment in February feeling confident. I eat well, I exercise and I care about doing my part. Then came the results from the hemoglobinometer they slipped over my finger and a polite but firm rejection. My hemoglobin was too low. 

It was frustrating, but it sent me down a path I’m grateful for. Because I learned that if you’re vegetarian—or, like me, eat a mostly plant-based diet—you can give blood. You just have to be a bit more intentional about iron. 

A pint of my finest B+ (and who wouldn’t want their blood to Be Positive?), donated and off to do its part to help save lives.
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Five Shelters. One Week. Dozens of Amazing Red Cross Volunteers. 

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What a busy time for local American Red Cross shelter volunteers! Earlier this year, volunteers in Silicon Valley, Calif., had to set up not one, not two, but FIVE shelters in one week!  

Volunteers aced their test to get staff and supplies to a shelter site on time

It all started on February 26, when the volunteers underwent a test to see if they could set up three shelters simultaneously within a certain timeframe. They had to get enough staff and supplies to three locations to shelter 100 people at each for one night. This annual disaster simulation is part of a national campaign to ensure our communities are prepared for unexpected emergencies. The Silicon Valley volunteers did great and scored 95 percent and higher on all aspects of the test.  

Before they could even celebrate their accomplishment, two days later on February 28, a real emergency occurred. The Fire Department in Santa Clara urgently evacuated an apartment complex due to structural issues and it was deemed unsafe for occupancy. The Red Cross responded immediately and set up a shelter so residents didn’t have to sleep in their cars. 

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Sound The Alarm: 459 Homes Are Now Safer Thanks to Red Cross Volunteers, Local Fire Departments and Community Partners 

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By Quinn Aftab

The American Red Cross is widely known to respond to disasters caused by home fires across the nation – but what about preventative action?

All the tools and assets necessary for a Sound the Alarm event. Photography by: Pooja Klebig | American Red Cross

As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross does not only seek to aid communities in home fire recovery, but also in the necessary steps that lead to home fire prevention. By installing free smoke alarms in residential neighborhoods and educating communities about home fire safety, Red Cross chapters ensure a holistic approach to protection is enacted. As of today, the Red Cross, alongside local fire departments and community partners, has installed 1,128 smoke alarms in 459 homes, creating a safer space for 1,502 residents across the Northern Coastal California Region.

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