“We wanted to do outreach in a community that had been evacuated because of a wildfire and be sensitive to that, while also providing wildfire information, home fire information and just general community information,” said Christen.
How the Red Cross is Adapting to More Frequent Disasters
It is a sign of the times that major weather and catastrophic events are no longer measured against the recollections of old-timers, but rather the recent memories of soccer moms and their children. “This year’s Labor Day weekend was bad,” they might say, “but nothing like 2017 and 2018. And 2020 was the worst!”
“A chance to leave the world a little better”: Why Aaron and Deb Hayes became Red Cross Volunteers
By Evan Peper Three rivers threatened to overflow, farms and homes flooded, even I-5 itself was in danger of falling underwater -- Lewis County was hit hard by torrential rains that took place at the start of 2022. Acts of heroism always arise with natural disasters, as evidenced by the 20+ water rescues needed by … Continue reading “A chance to leave the world a little better”: Why Aaron and Deb Hayes became Red Cross Volunteers
How Augie Berendsen survived the great November flood
Augie Berendsen points out some of the damage caused by flooding near his Everson home, November 18, 2021 By Gordon Williams Augie Berendsen of Everson WA knew the flooding had become really bad when he began hearing calls for help from the fields outside his farmhouse home. It was dark on the evening of November 14th … Continue reading How Augie Berendsen survived the great November flood
“We lost everything…” A home fire is devastating. The Red Cross is here to help
Emergency response to the Maple Crest Apartment fire in Tukwila, WA on August 17, 2021 By Abby Lutz “Let’s go, let’s go -- there’s a fire, we’ve got to get out of here!” Those were the words that awoke Samantha Walker on August 17, 2021 in her Tukwila apartment. Her husband, Isiac Walker, woke up … Continue reading “We lost everything…” A home fire is devastating. The Red Cross is here to help
Next Generation Emergency Response Vehicle Brings Boost to Red Cross Disaster Response
By Jennifer Astion This summer, the Greater Inland Northwest Chapter of the Red Cross will be reaching out to the community with a new Emergency Response Vehicle built specifically for disaster relief missions. Thanks to the generous support of individual donations and a $50,000 gift from BNSF Railway, the chapter will use the new vehicle … Continue reading Next Generation Emergency Response Vehicle Brings Boost to Red Cross Disaster Response
How Janice Chapman Shelters Clients from Wildfires and COVID19
By Gordon Williams Janice Chapman Red Cross volunteer Janice Chapman was warned on the afternoon of Sunday, September 6 that she might be deployed to a wildfire in Eastern Washington. The call to deploy came early the next morning. “I was just finishing my coffee,” Janice said. Within hours, she was on her way to … Continue reading How Janice Chapman Shelters Clients from Wildfires and COVID19
FINDING RED CROSS PARTNERS: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR KATHLEEN VOSS
By Gordon Williams The Red Cross mission of aiding disaster victims around the world can be so demanding that no single organization could be expected to carry it out alone. That’s why the American Red Cross relies on hundreds of corporate and foundation partners to help provide the money, volunteers and skills needed to carry … Continue reading FINDING RED CROSS PARTNERS: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR KATHLEEN VOSS
For Jamie Gravelle, Hurricane Florence, a week at home and now Hurricane Michael
By Gordon Williams Jamie Gravelle, disaster program manager for the Snohomish County chapter of the American Red Cross, was in a two-day staff meeting in Everett WA when she got the call to deploy to the Hurricane Michael relief operation. Fifteen hours later, having skipped the second day of the meeting, she was en route … Continue reading For Jamie Gravelle, Hurricane Florence, a week at home and now Hurricane Michael
Blankets of Comfort
By Diane Toomey Photos by Karen Kim Shortly after Betty Young retired, she was channel surfing and came across a local ad seeking volunteers to make quilts for the Red Cross. Betty was interested in doing something to give back. In March of 1996 she joined eleven other women who met every Monday to sew quilts that … Continue reading Blankets of Comfort
American Red Cross NW Region 