Red Cross, Ink.

It’s not very often that we get large scale disasters such as the one in Haiti. In many minds, Haiti ranks with the Indonesian Tsunami or Hurricane Katrina - you look at the devastation from your living room in absolute horror that something like this is real. Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to count on one hand the number of natural disasters that we have watched from my living room…fortunate in that we were not there - homeless, helpless, and scared.

However, once you work for a relief organization, your entire perspective of that CNN News story that once confined you to your couch changes. Instead of sitting glued, feeling helpless, you take action, and now I get to help those of you who may want to help and not know how.

Cash is king is disaster operations. Other organizations are shipping supplies, medicine and people into Haiti as you’re reading this, but what is the fastest way to make that happen? A financial contribution.

Here are a few ways to make that happen:

1. Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10. The charge will automatically show up on your next cell phone bill.
2. You can go to our giving page to make a contribution or go straight to the National Page - the money will arrive in Haiti either way.

Most of you have seen us in action during times of disaster - our volunteers are assisting you or your neighbors in a shelter, or you follow our Facebook, Twitter, and blog updates for information on our response and how you can be prepared in case you have to evacuate.

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Your American Red Cross: We’ll be There

Many of us are finding creative ways to give back to our community - why not skip one trip to the coffee shop this month and funnel that money to your local Red Cross?

Here’s a story about what a donation can do at the American Red Cross:

It doesn’t take a lot of money to train a disaster volunteer.  During a disaster, that volunteer may work in a shelter that houses a few hundred people.  That volunteer is a shoulder to cry on, a resource for information, and a constant smiling face.  They’re the person that will check to make sure people are well fed, and that children have something to console them.

That one disaster volunteer would positively touch the lives of a few hundred of your friends and neighbors…

Consider skipping one trip to the coffee shop or one lunch out and instead invest that money as a holiday gift that will go directly into our community:

Picture Courtesy of Shawn Knight AM 1440

The La Brea fire, which started on August 8th, continues to burn in the isolated San Raphael wilderness.  There are some evacuation warnings in effect at this time, but no mandatory evacuation orders.

However, your American Red Cross does not wait for a mandatory evacuation order.  Already we have a shelter on standby should the evacuation warnings be upgraded to mandatory evacuations.  We have already called down to volunteers to let them know that their services may be requested and they are ready to respond if that call comes.  While we will hope that this fire stays in the back country, we will always be one step ahead - just in case…

While Santa Barbara County has been through many fires this year, now is a good time to look at your Emergency Preparedness Kit.  Do you have water?  Is your food expired?  Have your medications changed since you last stocked your kit?

In case you don’t have a kit yet, here is a list of items to get you started:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3­ day supply for evacuation, 2 ­week supply for home)
• Food—non­perishable, easy­ to­ prepare items (3 ­day supply for evacuation, 2­week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery­powered or hand­crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7­ day supply) and medical items
• Multi­purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

We also have a more extensive and printable list of Emergency Preparedness Kit supplies here.

With our awesome Gala in the Grecian Gardens approaching on August 29th - our planning committee has devised a fun and exciting way for you to get free tickets or drinks for the event.  We will be hanging out at various locations around Santa Barbara and all you have to do is find us!  We will be wearing “Red Cross Goes Greek” shirts and hanging out in a group - it shouldn’t be too hard to find us - or will it?

The idea is simple:

1) Follow us on Twitter - @SBRedCross

2) Look for a tweet that gives our location away

3) Be the first to find us and mention that a little bird sent you and WIN

If you are unable to find us - don’t fret!  Our ticket prices are some of the lowest in town for a fundraiser - only $50 for regular admission, and $75 for VIP.

This year’s Gala promises to be spectacular!  Greek Mythological figures will be roaming the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church (map) flirting with mortals, who can partake in delectable cuisine and libations under a starry sky.

You may also wish to participate in some of the evening’s activities - get a photo taken with your favorite Grecian, have Greek symbols painted onto your face, or discover wisdom in a mythical forest.

All proceeds support YOUR local Red Cross, so grab your friends, get your favorite dress out and joins us on August 29th from 6:30 - 10:00 pm at this year’s Gala in the Grecian Gardens!

Meet Louise Kolbert!

First and foremost, congratulations on becoming Santa Barbara County’s newest CEO!  What are you looking forward to doing in your new role?

Developing stronger relationships and partners in the community to strengthen the organization’s ability to meet the needs of the community. My dream is that everyone in Santa Barbara County knows what to do when a disaster strikes which includes making a plan, building a kit and keeping informed and training to help their community when an emergency happens, whether it be because of injury or accident or a disaster.  Together as a community we can do great things.

So, you’ve been with the Red Cross for a very long time.  In fact, before becoming CEO, you were our Director of Emergency Services.  What is it about this organization that has kept you active for over 30 years?

The mission of our organization to be there when emergencies happen.  When I was a 11 years old my house burned down and we lost everything.  The Red Cross was there to care for us, get a place to stay, and provide us with food and clothing.  Unless you have been there you have no idea what is like to lose everything.  For 32 years I have had the opportunity to help people recover from disasters, be a shoulder to cry on and assure people that the Red Cross will be there every step of the way. I can’t think of a better organization to be a part of, we help people whether is it a single family fire or a major disaster.  We have been there since 1881 helping; it is wonderful to be part of such an incredible organization.

You’ve managed so many large scale disaster - Katrina, 9/11, the San Diego Wildfires and all of our recent wildfires in Santa Barbara County - how will you manage being a CEO in a disaster?

My goal is to be supportive and mentor the new Emergency Service Director to have the same skills and abilities.  The CEO role is to ensure the response is done well, that the Chapter keeps functioning, tell out story and raise money - my hands will be full doing that. I have mentored many Job Directors in this organization and it will be a privilege to mentor another.

Will it be hard to step away from that role?

Yes, I am sure I will have to be reminded of that during a disaster.

What do you like most about working in Santa Barbara County?

I have worked disasters in almost every State in the Country and the thing that always amazes me about Santa Barbara County is the incredible commitment from all agencies to serve their community. When you are apart of a disaster and working with all agencies, everyone pulls together as a team and wants to know how to help each other so that the community’s needs are met.  We are 100% dependent on volunteer donations and our community has been very gracious to us over the years, as I am sure they will continue to give to Red Cross so we can be there when someone needs us.

Any last thoughts on what the future holds?

I believe with the incredible team of volunteers (Red Cross is run 96% by volunteers) and paid staff and the support of the community great things will happen.  I thank the Chapter and Community for putting their faith in me.  I look forward to a great future with you all!

The ash from the Jesusita Fire has now settled, the smoke has cleared, and people are now picking up the pieces…with the Red Cross right by their side.

This is what we do, we help people pick up the pieces and get their lives back together.  It’s a long process, but we’re there until the very end.  Many remember just how devastating the recent Tea Fire was - we lost over 200 homes in a matter of hours.  Shortly after the Tea Fire – and now the Jesusita Fire – your Red Cross had supplies and resources available for people who needed to start to clear the rubble and ash from their lives so that they could start the rebuilding process.

Some of the long term recovery services provided by the American Red Cross after a fire include:

• Assistance finding and paying a portion of the first months’ rent on a place to live
• Replacement of clothing, linens, kitchen needs, etc.
• Replacement of supplies required for work: i.e. tools
• Support groups to help people cope with their loss
• Referrals to resources that can help with the rebuilding process

All of these services are FREE to those affected by the fire and are made possible through generous donations that the people of Santa Barbara County made through the Red Cross and the United Way’s Jesusita Fire Recovery Fund.

During the past two fires, we have seen an outpouring of support that allows for your friends and neighbors to pull their lives back together - something that they may not have been able to do on their own, so thank you for being such a major part of that.

If you know someone affected by the Jesusita Fire who may benefit from the services we provide, please have them contact Pam Voge, our Long Term Recovery Specialist at the Chapter so that we may open a case with them.

Thank you for supporting your American Red Cross.

First and foremost, we would really like to thank everyone who attended the #sbTweetUp on May 21^st. It was a fantastic opportunity for us all to engage with one another and come up with some very valuable next steps for the Twitter community of Santa Barbara County. We were incredibly flattered by your support and look forward to the continuing the conversation

We came away with some really great ideas, tips, and next steps for using Twitter and the Web. I believe the most important question that we as a nonprofit organization need to answer came when asked what our goal  in using Twitter was. This posed the larger question:

“How are we (the American Red Cross) going to continue to serve the communities of Santa Barbara County through these web-based tools?”

I believe that our mission on Twitter (and the Web) is the same as our organization’s mission, which is to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. With the Jesusita Fire, we were able to connect to help people responding to emergencies, but now it’s time for us to help you prevent and prepare for them using these tools because this isn’t just your grandmother’s Red Cross – this is YOUR Red Cross.

Here is how we plan to cover the other two parts of our Mission using social media:

1) Do Preparedness Tweet Ups based on the season: this was a great suggestion that came from some of our friends at the #sbTweetUp. We discussed the need to make preparedness “sexier” so that it’s more visible in the public’s eye

2) Blog about how to prepare: pull together resources, lists, and information and post it to our blog so that anyone in Santa Barbara County can access the information even if they can’t make it to a Tweet Up.

We pledge to continue to be a valuable resource for you on the Web.  We are committed to hosting Tweet Ups, creating meaningful blog posts, and engaging Santa Barbara County so that all people – regardless of their social media interests – will be prepared for anything.

Not following us on Twitter yet? Find us at @SBRedCross. Have more tips or suggestions for us? Let us know in the comments or via Twitter.