Tag Archives: Volunteers

Red Cross Service to Armed Forces supports San Francisco Fleet Week

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San Francisco has a long and proud maritime history. A highlight of San Francisco’s celebration of its connection with America’s sea services is Fleet Week (SFFW)which began in 1981. The event has taken place every October since then. A major attraction of Fleet Week has been the Humanitarian Village on the Marina Green.

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The Red Cross tent at the Humanitarian Assistance Village during the San Francisco Fleet Week 2019.

The Humanitarian Assistance Village (HAV) is a showcase for civilian and military organizations to help the public understand their roles and provide education on a variety of topics related to cooperation and knowledge among civilian and military Humanitarian Assistance personnel.

The Red Cross SAF has been a vital part of the Humanitarian Village for many years. This year was no different. Under the Leadership of Go Funai, Regional Director for SAF, and Workers in Charge Liz Dietz, Jolinda Sim, and JJ Lara, a team of about 90 volunteers from across the Bay Area manned the Red Cross area on the Marina Green on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (October 11, 12 and 13, 2019).

During that period the team had over 1,500 interactions with the public. This included providing disaster preparedness information to 491 people, teaching 351 people about Stop the Bleed, 310 people about hands only CPR and 264 people about fire safety and the Red Cross Sound the Alarm program. In addition, over 100 people were provided general information about Red Cross services.

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Hands-only CPR and Stop the Bleed were two trainings offered at the Red Cross tent during Fleet Week.

Volunteers came from all over the Bay Area and ranged in age from High School Youth volunteers to those who have been volunteering with the Red Cross to those who have been Red Cross volunteers for over 40 years.

The mission of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces is to provide humanitarian support to service members, veterans and their families around the clock, around the globe, under a trusted symbol. The 2019 San Francisco Fleet Week serves as a great event for people to share in the history of this great City and learn how to be prepared in the case of a disaster.

To learn about the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces in the Northern California Coastal Region, visit our website. Additional photos from the San Francisco Fleet Week 2019 may be viewed on our Flickr page.

The Hardest Job

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30 Years Later, the Loma Prieta Earthquake Response Remains Jim Aldrich’s Most Difficult

Galveston Island had seen better days. Hurricane Jerry had battered the Texas barrier island cum tourist haunt the day before, leaving flooded roads strewn with flotsam and sand dunes pummeled into the mud. Jim Aldrich of the American Red Cross, who was in Galveston as part of the organization’s recovery effort, had just settled in to watch Game 3 of the World Series from his hotel room. The game’s telecast, aired live from San Francisco, suddenly scratched with static as the frame jerked and spasmed. There was confusion, shouting.

“We’re having an earth-” someone said before the live feed cut to black.

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An aerial view of the collapsed section of the Cypress Structure. The 6.9 earthquake caused the top deck of the highway to fall onto the lower deck, killing 42 people.

It was October 17, 1989, and Northern California had just experienced a catastrophic event, the Loma Prieta earthquake. The 6.9 tremor ravaged homes, infrastructure, and lives from Monterey Bay through the Bay Area, leaving 66 people dead, thousands injured, and tens of thousands homeless. Like Jim, millions watched the quake strike in real time on live television.

The Red Cross contacted Jim, an employee from St. Louis, within hours of the now-cancelled World Series game; he would trade the Texas Gulf Coast for a new deployment to the earthquake response in California. Having 8+ years with the Red Cross and ample disaster experience under his belt, he felt up to the job. However, as he would learn over the next three months, the Loma Prieta response would be the most challenging of his career.
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A silver anniversary of love

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To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake, our region has been gathering stories from people who experienced the quake three decades ago in an effort to encourage preparedness today. The following is a story from 2014.

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The long-term relationship between Patsy Gasca, center, and the American Red Cross began the same day the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck almost 30 years ago. This week, the Disaster Program Manager for the Central Coast Chapter took a minute to pose for a photo with Red Cross colleagues Michele Averill (left), chapter CEO, and Camilla Boolootian, regional development officer.
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By Carlos M. Rodriguez

October 17, 1989, started off as an ordinary day for Patsy Gasca. But at 5:04 p.m., the Loma Prieta earthquake struck Northern California, causing widespread damage from the San Francisco metropolis to the much smaller towns in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook the ground for 15 seconds, changing Patsy’s life forever. Before the day was done, the 28-year-old Santa Cruz mother of three would volunteer as a case worker, beginning what has become a 25-year love affair with the American Red Cross. Read more

1989 earthquake was a life-changing moment for Red Cross’ Rick Martinez

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Almost 30 years ago, on October 17, 1989, the devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake rocked most of Northern California. Particularly hard hit were Bay Area and Central Coast communities, areas that sustained loss of life and catastrophic damage. To commemorate the anniversary of this devastating earthquake, our region has been gathering stories from people who experienced Loma Prieta 30 years ago in an effort to encourage preparedness today. The following is a story that was posted on the Central Coast Chapter web site in December 2017.

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Rick Martinez was photographed at the lifeguard station on the Santa Cruz Wharf in 2017, almost 30 years after the earthquake that introduced him to the American Red Cross.

By Jim Burns

Before he embarked on a career in law enforcement almost 30 years ago, Rick Martinez dreamed of working in the hospitality industry.

“I had been very interested in doing restaurant or hotel/motel work,” he said.

Then the fatally destructive Loma Prieta Earthquake struck with mega-force in October 1989. Read more

Howard Hinkson Returns From 4th Service to Armed Forces Deployment in Iraq

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You could say Howard Hinkson was born to serve having been raised in a Navy family moving around the US much of his childhood. Howard started with the Red Cross as a volunteer supporting the 1989 Earthquake. He worked logistics, sheltering, and mass care. He served in a variety of capacities, including volunteer, reserve, and paid staffer. Howard had just come off what he called ‘his second retirement’ when he decided that he needed to return to Iraq. Howard is no stranger to Iraq having deployed previously to COB Speicher, Balad and Camp Victory.  The American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) deployment overseas can be “laborious, tedious and dangerous” Howard said. As it turns out, the rewards outweigh all of that. Read more

Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake: 30 Years Later

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loma prieta 420x279On October 17, 1989, the devastating 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake rocked Northern California with the Bay Area and Central Coast bearing the brunt of the impact. The resulting catastrophic damage and loss of life forever changed the landscape, infrastructure, and people of the Golden State.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, the American Red Cross is gathering stories from those who experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake. Through sharing these stories of recovery and resiliency, we hope to encourage active preparation for the next major event. If you have a memory, experience, or photos/videos from Loma Prieta, we invite you to share them with us. Read more

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