Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019

AMERICAN american Gold gold country RED red CROSS cross region Preparation, Response, and Recovery T he American Red Cross Gold Country Region serves 24 Northern California counties spanning 48,000 square miles during and after disasters large and small, and prepares individuals, families, businesses, and communities for those disasters. “Wildfires have raged throughout Northern California with increasing frequency and destructive capacity closer to heavily populated areas,” notes Gary Strong, CEO. “We have to respond more often and in larger numbers, therefore, we need more volunteers.” About 2,000 volunteers currently make up the Gold Country Region’s roster. The Red Cross workforce is 97 percent volunteers, and work is funded by donations, as the Red Cross is not federally funded. “Through our mainly volunteer workforce, we’re very efficient with donated dollars, with 91 cents of 62 CAPITAL REGION CARES 2018 | comstocksmag.com each dollar going directly to providing services,” says Strong. Part of the organization’s mission is preparing individuals, families, and businesses for disasters. “We work with smaller businesses to help them understand their risks and how to improve their continuity of operations in the event of a disaster,” says Strong. “We offer a range of preparedness services, from babysitting, lifeguarding and CPR training to selling first-aid kits.” With wildfires making worldwide news, it surprises many people that more people die in single-home fires every year than in all other disasters combined. Over the last year, the local Red Cross’ Sound the Alarm campaign tackled that statistic by installing 4,631 smoke alarms, free of charge, for people who needed them. “With a functional smoke alarm, you’re 50-percent less REDCROSS.ORG likely to perish in a home fire,” confirms Strong. The Red Cross also helps people associated with the armed forces with its Services to Armed Forces program. “We’re there through enlistment, deployment, emergency leave, retirement, and beyond for service members and their families, providing information, resources, training, and comfort,” explains Strong. Please visit redcross.org to learn how you can help the Red Cross help those in need. (redcross.org) profile generously sponsored by

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