Category: Disaster Relief
How a Simple Meal Brings Comfort After Disaster
By Rebecca Marshall When you think about the American Red Cross in times of disaster, sheltering is likely your first thought. But that’s only the beginning. Once a shelter is […]
This is only a drill. Red Cross volunteers take part in no-notice simulations to prepare for disaster.
By Rebecca Marshall The call came early Friday morning, April 10th. A major flood has hit SW Washington and American Red Cross staff and volunteers have been called into action. […]
A Historic Day of Local Disaster Responses
Every year, the Red Cross responds to over 65,000 emergencies and most of them are home fires. These events may not make headlines, but they shatter lives. That’s why our […]
After the Flood: A Follow-Up on One Family’s Recovery in Paradise Park
By Allison Skoglind , Red Cross volunteer In the weeks leading up to Christmas, heavy downpours triggered an atmospheric river event that put residents of Paradise Park in Estacada on […]
Full Circle of Hope: 45 Years After Red Cross Saved His Life, He’s Lifting Oregonians Through the Storm
By Rebecca Marshall Dan Lam lives in Orange County, California but he packed up and came to Portland earlier this week to help people affected by the extreme weather and […]
From Survivor to Volunteer, More Red Crossers Inpired to Help After Devastating Floods
Written by Allison Skoglind, Red Cross Volunteer As floodwaters swept through communities in Washington state, American Red Cross volunteers from the Cascades region quickly answered the call, traveling far from […]
Red Cross Installs Peace of Mind for a Woman, who is Deaf, Displaced by an Apartment Fire
Written by Rebecca Marshall, Regional Communications Director On September 17, 2025, Heather Fenner was sleeping on the couch when she woke up to the smell of smoke and saw flames […]
Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month: Yarisa’s Red Cross Story (English & Spanish)
Written by Marisa Bevington, Volunteer For some of the Red Cross volunteers throughout the world, the seed to become part of the Red Cross, was planted when they were adolescents […]
A Disaster Manager Looks Back on the 2020 Oregon Wildfires
Written by Patricia Griffiths, Cascades Communications Volunteer On September 7, 2020, high winds surged across Oregon, spreading a few small wildfires into multiple roaring conflagrations. More than one million acres […]
From Worry to Relief: A Sister’s Search Ends at a Red Cross Shelter
Written by Isabel Anderson, Regional Communications Manager The Flat Fire started the evening of August 21st in Jefferson and Deschutes County. Overnight, the fire grew exponentially from 8,000 to 21,000 […]