Easing the path toward wildfire recovery by Jacqueline Koch Twisp is a small town in Okanogan County, surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and steeped in back country charm. But sadly, it is no stranger to disaster. Last summer, wildfires struck for the second season in a row, claiming the lives of three firefighters, and delivering … Continue reading Wildfire Response Update – After Washington’s ‘Unprecedented Cataclysm’
Safe Futures: At-Risk Kids Embrace Disaster Preparedness
By Gabriel Martinez, AmeriCorps serving the American Red Cross NW Region I give a lot of disaster preparedness presentations for the Red Cross. I have enough experience now that I can often predict audience questions before they are even asked. “Where should I hide from an earthquake if I’m at home?” “Can I just punch out … Continue reading Safe Futures: At-Risk Kids Embrace Disaster Preparedness
Couple Turns Retirement Into Volunteer Career
By Tiffany Koenig For Melodie Witherspoon, volunteering with the Red Cross has become a family affair. Melodie serves as training coordinator at the Kennewick office; her husband, Wiley, is an operations manager; their son, Gene, serves as lead for disaster IT in the area; and their daughter, Tracie, helped set up a shelter and supported emergency … Continue reading Couple Turns Retirement Into Volunteer Career
Change of Plans: Answering the New Year’s Eve Call
By Gabriel Martinez, AmeriCorps serving the American Red Cross NW Region I was heading out for a party on New Year’s Eve, I received a call from the Red Cross chapter in Everett. A three-alarm apartment fire occurred a few hours earlier, forcing more than 100 people out their homes. Many of the residents had nowhere … Continue reading Change of Plans: Answering the New Year’s Eve Call
A CLEAR Strategy for the Future
By Jacqueline Koch “When I go through the school hallways, some of the kids call out and say ‘Hi, Brain Lady!’” said Natalie Turner, assistant director of the Child and Family Research Unit at Washington State University. While some students might not recall her name, few forget the lesson Turner brings to the classroom: The … Continue reading A CLEAR Strategy for the Future
Giving Children Coping Skills to Last a Lifetime
By Jacqueline Koch The Highway 530 landslide hit children in the affected communities especially hard. “I knew right away, given the issues our students face in their daily life—and now the death of two schoolmates—we were going to have to look at different strategies,” said Tracy Franke, principal of the Darrington Elementary School. Nearly two … Continue reading Giving Children Coping Skills to Last a Lifetime
Meeting Recovery Needs with a Consistent, Personal Touch
By Jacqueline Koch It’s been nearly two years since the tragic landslide struck in Snohomish County; and Crisann Brooks, director of family support for Lutheran Community Services Northwest, sees that the healing process, while different for everyone, is underway. Her organization has led the charge to provide much-needed support at the Arlington Community Resource Center, … Continue reading Meeting Recovery Needs with a Consistent, Personal Touch
Stayin’ Alive: One Beep Could Save a Life
By: Maclain Borsich, AmeriCorps member serving the American Red Cross NW Region Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas Chapter- Bremerton, WA Early on a Saturday morning, volunteers, staff and AmeriCorps members gathered at the American Red Cross in Bremerton to go out into the surrounding neighborhoods and install free smoke alarms in homes. The Home Fire Campaign is … Continue reading Stayin’ Alive: One Beep Could Save a Life
Former EMT Helps Prepare Bellingham
By Kayla Ihrig, AmeriCorps member serving the American Red Cross NW Region A former emergency medical technician (EMT) is using their training to educate the Bellingham community on first aid and disaster preparedness. A new addition to the team, AmeriCorps member Prentiss Andrews, has taken the role of disaster preparedness coordinator for the Bellingham Red … Continue reading Former EMT Helps Prepare Bellingham
Disaster Action Team Volunteer Calls on Community
Thank you, Kimba, for your service as a Red Cross volunteer and for this great reminder that neighbors volunteering to help neighbors is how the Red Cross mission continues to live on in communities across the country. Read Kimba's letter here.
American Red Cross NW Region 