by Jennifer Astion Halloween will look a little different this year. Due to Covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), King County and Pierce County discourage traditional house to house trick or treating. Julia Raasch on Unsplash Instead, get creative with this fall holiday. The CDC suggests these low risk activities: Decorate or … Continue reading How to Enjoy a Safe Halloween in 2020
WHEN — AND HOW — TO CALL 9-1-1
Photo by Engin Akyurt, Unsplash. (A companion piece on training kids to use 9-1-1 will appear shortly.) By Gordon Williams September is National Preparedness Month, and one step in preparing for disaster is knowing when and how to call for help. It turns out there is a lot more to ringing up 9-1-1 than just … Continue reading WHEN — AND HOW — TO CALL 9-1-1
Regional Executive tours WA Wildfire Country
Ryan Rodin (left) and Alex Dieffenbach (right) deliver Disaster Emergency Supplies to Malden, WA By Gordon Williams Alex Dieffenbach, chief executive officer of the Red Cross Northwest Region, saw first-hand the severity and scale of damage in Malden WA — a tiny farming town near Spokane that lost everything to wildfire. The town hall, police … Continue reading Regional Executive tours WA Wildfire Country
In their darkest moments, they uplifted others
Flowers, candles and signs decorate the outside of La Milpa restaurant in Brewster, WA on September 12, 2020. By Patricia Friedman, NWWA Red Cross Volunteer The patriarch of La Milpa Restaurant and Grocery, Ernesto Santos, was a well-respected community man who always helped others, I was told. So it came as no surprise that on … Continue reading In their darkest moments, they uplifted others
Father and son watch flames engulf family orchard
Charred fruit still hangs from branches on the Lynn Family Farm after wildfire swept through the area. September 14, 2020 By Mark Walker Benjamin Lynn and son Ryder were forced off their family farm last week when wildfire flames jumped the Columbia River near Bridgeport, WA. The conflagration from the more than 270,000-acre Pearl Fire … Continue reading Father and son watch flames engulf family orchard
How Stella Astry’s family escaped the flames
Stella Astry and her grandchildren, David and Bailey. September 14, 2020. Photo by: Ray Lapine By Gordon Williams The first warning Stella Astry had that the Graham WA fire was heading her way was a shouted warning from a nephew who was camped out on her property. The fire had brought down a power pole, … Continue reading How Stella Astry’s family escaped the flames
Mom and kids flee fire and find shelter with the Red Cross
Justine and her 3 children enjoy a meal provided by the American Red Cross after evacuating their Bonney Lake WA neighborhood. September, 2020. By Mark Walker Justine Rosencrans and her three young children were sound asleep Tuesday morning when they were suddenly awoken with a command to flee. The family’s home on Myers Road in Bonney Lake … Continue reading Mom and kids flee fire and find shelter with the Red Cross
Evacuated family finds safety and shelter with the Red Cross
By Ray Lapine First there was the gauntlet of smoke and fire. Lisa Torgerson got a phone alert early Tuesday morning warning that she had to evacuate immediately because of the advancing wildfire. She and her two adult daughters who were living at home grabbed the family photo albums and started out in a caravan … Continue reading Evacuated family finds safety and shelter with the Red Cross
Red Cross Community Blood Drives
Red Cross South Puget Sound and Olympics Executive Director, Dan Wirth and members of the Thurston County Chamber kick off a community blood drive. July 2020 By Ray Lapine The South Puget Sound & Olympics Chapter of the American Red Cross continues to collect lifesaving blood despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent … Continue reading Red Cross Community Blood Drives
Red Cross responds to COVID-19 crisis with new online Psychological First Aid training and community outreach
By Jennifer Astion EDITOR'S NOTE: Since this story originally published, the Psychological First Aid for everyone course is now offered for a $20 fee (it had been made available for free immediately following the outset of the pandemic). The American Red Cross is responding to mental health issues created by the coronavirus epidemic with a … Continue reading Red Cross responds to COVID-19 crisis with new online Psychological First Aid training and community outreach