Santa Cruz Red Cross Deploys Four Local Volunteers to Oso, Washington Landslide to Provide Disaster Relief

The American Red Cross Santa Cruz County Chapter is deploying four local volunteers to Oso, Washington Landslide Relief Effort to provide support and comfort to those in Washington dealing with this tragedy and awaiting information on loved ones.The four volunteers leaving on Wednesday include a mental health associate from Santa Cruz, Mike Fyfe (health services supervisor) from Aptos, Lorraine Jacobs (information dissemination associated) from Soquel, and Richard Puccinelli (in-kind donations associate) from Hollister.

The American Red Cross is focusing its efforts on providing support and comfort to those in Washington dealing with this tragedy and awaiting information on loved ones. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food, water and emotional support to Oso residents, their families, and emergency responders. Nearly 30 people are staying in our shelters and dozens of others are stopping in for information, meals and to seek the services of our mental health staff. Volunteers are also providing meals, snacks and drinks for the first responders. Since Saturday, the Red Cross has mobilized two response vehicles and nearly 100-trained workers to provide support. These workers have served 2,200 meals and snacks, and handed out dozens of comfort kits.

Because of the difficult nature of this event, we have local mental health volunteers who are caring for families who have lost loved ones and waiting for word on the missing. The need for this important service is only growing and we are in the process of sending additional mental health volunteers. We also have health services volunteers who are reaching out to the families of the injured to see how we can help that group.

From the Gateway to the Golden State Region, the Red Cross has deployed a total of 14 local volunteers people to assist the relief effort — four from the Bay Area Chapter, five from the Silicon Valley Chapter, and these four from the Santa Cruz County Chapter.

We understand that people around the country want to help and we appreciate that support. Right now, the Red Cross has what it needs to support this event both financially and with relief supplies.

This tragedy shows that emergencies can happen in any community at any time. While the Red Cross has all it needs to respond to this event, we do need the public’s support to respond to the nearly 70,000 other disasters we handle every year around the country and in Washington. To help us prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, please make a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org.

There are other ways people can help: