Tag Archives: Regional

A Twice In A Lifetime Experience: Reflections On Briana’s Most Unique Deployment

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By Julia Maniccia

Photos courtesy of Briana Taylor

“We are so focused on responding and getting a job done, but that isn’t how you touch peoples’ lives. You do that by listening to them, talking to them, letting them tell their story and finding out what they need. Then you help them,” is a sentiment that has guided Briana Taylor, first by a career in psychology, and later by two decades of service with the American Red Cross.

Briana’s introduction to disaster response was happenstance. In her professional role in mental health, Briana had spent many years working to alleviate human suffering on an individual level, tending to the needs of her patients in their darkest hour. In 2004, Briana was vacationing in Phuket, Thailand with her family, briefly taking off her psychologist hat, when a tsunami took to the island’s shores. Six weeks later, her drive to alleviate suffering took flight on the community-level, as she returned to Thailand to support islanders in their recovery.

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From cybersecurity intern to AAPI+ advocate: Shivang Pasi’s inspiring Red Cross journey

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Shivang visited the American Red Cross National Headquarters in D.C.
“When I was in D.C. for the AAPI+ Resources Group convention, I saw how dedicated everyone was. These people were volunteering their own time on top of their actual day-to-day jobs to help support AAPI+ and other resource groups. It made me feel like I was part of a family, not part of a corporation,” he said. Photo courtesy of Shivang Pasi

From holding a cybersecurity internship, to attending a compelling diversity conference in Washington D.C. to becoming an active member of a national resource group, Shivang Pasi exemplifies how one can make an impact in several ways within the American Red Cross in a short time. Shivang is one of over 275,000 American Red Cross volunteers from across the country who has engaged with the organization’s humanitarian mission, though he never expected himself to be this involved when he started.

Shivang’s journey as a Red Crosser began the summer of 2024 when he secured a cybersecurity internship with the organization’s Northern California Coastal Region, which serves more than 10 million people across 15 counties from Monterey to Sonoma. As a current fourth year student at San Jose State University, Shivang was drawn to specialize in cybersecurity because of his love for puzzle solving. 

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“Two-For-One Special” 

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Recognizing Susan Winters, Heart of the Valley Chapter’s Clara Barton Award Winner 

By Selena Nisha

Photo courtesy of Susan Winters

After retiring from a career as a speech therapist and school secretary, Susan Winters from Modesto, California found herself searching for new ways to stay engaged in her community. Susan has always believed in the importance of giving back. Her parents were active in community service and instilled in her the values of volunteerism and compassion towards others. This passion for service led her to the American Red Cross in 2010, and her contribution to the organization was recently recognized with the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Leadership. Named after the founder of the Red Cross, the award recognizes a volunteer for their years of service in various leadership positions.  

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A Significant Milestone for Training Services: 350 Students Certified in Adult CPR/AED in One Day

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Photo by Martin Gagliano – American Red Cross

On a typical Wednesday morning, having more than one hundred eighth graders seated on the auditorium floor might not seem out of the ordinary. However, witnessing them perform synchronized CPR maneuvers while learning to save lives is impressive. On October 22, the local Red Cross Training Services Team, in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) and Dozier-Libbey Medical High School (DLMHS), hosted a record-setting youth CPR/AED certification event for nearly 350 eighth-grade students over two 90-minute sessions at Antioch’s Park Middle School.

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Driving Hope as Waymo Partners with the Red Cross for its Second Annual Holiday Blood Drive

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The holiday season is traditionally hard on the nation’s blood supply. The American Red Cross typically sees a decrease in blood donations through the end of the year. To help boost blood donations and ensure patients have access to lifesaving blood and platelets, autonomous driving technology company, Waymo, partnered with the Red Cross to host its second annual blood drive from November 4-10 in San Francisco. The company generously offered two free rides to Waymo riders and employees who donated blood or platelets at the Red Cross San Francisco Blood Donation Center located on Market Street.

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A 70th Birthday Request for Blood Donations Inspires Lifelong Commitments

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Naomi Stamper (left) inspired her friend Linda Wulf (right) to become a regular blood donor. They said that one of the highest of levels of Jewish charity is when the donor doesn’t know the identity of the person who receives and the one who receives doesn’t know the identity of the donor. So, for these long-time friends, donating blood is pure, uncomplicated satisfaction. 
Photo courtesy of Naomi Stamper

When Naomi Stamper was about to turn 70 years young, her friends asked her what she wanted to do to celebrate. “I didn’t want to just go out to lunch with my lady friends,” she said. “I wanted to do something important.” 

So, she asked her friends to give blood, with the goal of getting 70 donations. She arranged for her synagogue to do a 70th birthday blood drive for her friends, and the word spread to friends and family across the country. “We got over 70 donations at that time, and the donations kept on growing,” Naomi, who is now 83, said. “People kept going and donating blood for years, like my friend Linda.” 

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