Wildfire | Your Red Cross Update

Tag Archives: Wildfire

Community togetherness in times of need

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Kathryn Hecht

By Lindsay R. Peak

Having survived the Valley Fire that decimated so much of Lake County in 2015, the mother/daughter duo of Kathleen Connors, 66, and Kelly Grimsley, 33, moved to Santa Rosa in August 2016 to make a “fresh start.” They had barely settled there when they heard the astonishing news in October 2017 of the threatening Tubbs Fire near their new home.

The two quickly fled, traveling toward Healdsburg in search of safety. A wrong turn landed them in Guerneville. Realizing their mistake, they looped back toward the freeway, eventually arriving at the emergency Red Cross shelter at Windsor High School in the early morning hours. Read more

Children support those affected by wildfires

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Jim Burns

It’s not surprising that a group of fourth graders from an elementary school in the picturesque coastal community of Pacific Grove have already developed a keen interest in their natural surroundings. But a recent gift to the American Red Cross shows that the young students also are developing a similar interest in helping their fellow humans. Read more

Homepage Posts — Other

Turning White Elephants Into Angels

Posted on January 7, 2019 by larrydietz

By Larry Dietz, Public Affairs Officer

All of us have been to the Holiday Party where you are asked to bring a “White Elephant” or modestly priced gift to exchange. When your number is called, you dread walking over to the pile of gifts and picking what you are sure will be something you would never buy for yourself and would more than likely end up at your local second-hand store.

Dr. Charles Renner and his wife, Susan, of Concord decided to do something different this year. They had been following reports of the devastation of the Camp Fire. While neither they nor their families were personally affected, they felt a kinship with those who were. “I just imagined myself in their shoes,” Susanne said. Read more

Red Cross response to Mendocino Complex Fire

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Jim Burns

As of Friday, August 17, 2018, 12:00 p.m.
For information on Red Cross services, call the 2018 Northern California Fire Storms Hotline at 855-558-1116.

Jordan Innes, 8, is glad that he can be with his pets while he is staying at the Lower Lake High School shelter. (Photo: Virginia Becker, American Red Cross)
For more photos, please go to this Flickr site.
Read some of our client and volunteer stories from this disaster relief operation.

California Northwest Chapter Executive Director Jeff Baumgartner address concerns about the Red Cross response in this blog post.

Three weeks after the Mendocino Complex Fire erupted in northern California, the Red Cross is there as communities recover, making sure people get the help they need as they cope with the aftermath of these deadly fires. According to officials, the Mendocino Complex Fire, which includes the River Fire and the Ranch Fire, which is 76% contained, has burned more than 378,000 acres and destroyed 157 homes in Lake County.

Alongside many community members and partners, 374 Red Cross disaster workers, most of whom are volunteers, continue to support to people whose lives have been turned upside-down by these wildfires. Read more

Remembering last fall’s Northern California fires

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Jim Burns

During the devastating Northern California fires this past October, every person who fled their homes — and in many cases, lost them — has a story to tell. So do the many Red Cross people who heroically stepped up to help in response to one of the most destructive weeks of fires in the state’s history.

Read our 2017 California Wildfires One-Year Stewardship Report

The Enduring Impact of Fire Relief in 2017

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Kathryn Hecht

A note from Stephanie Willett, Regional Director, Development Operations & Foundations:

I’m summarizing the attachments as slightly tricky to read.

A lovely note from Kyra Janssen in Santa Rosa. A gentleman gave Kyra a “fire discount” on a new coffee table. She’s working to “recreate a new home” after hers was destroyed on October 9^th last year in the North Bay Fires. He also offered to make a gift to an organization of her choice. She asked him to make a gift to the Red Cross.

The note was sent with a $50 check to us – and with thanks to the Red Cross from both of them.

As our recovery work on multiple California wildfires continues, and as we jump with energy into supporting relief operations for so many impacted by the current storms – I’m so moved by this note, sent almost a year after Kyra lost her home. To me, this note speaks to the incredible strength of our Red Cross team and the enduring impact of our work for so many people.

–

« Older Entries Recent Entries »