Humboldt CSC Members Respond to Tsunami

On Friday, March 11th at 5am Pacific Standard Time, California Safe Corps members Wayne Martins and Philip Anderson got the call that there had been a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Sendai in Japan and a tsunami alert had been issued for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

The Humboldt County Chapter of The American Red Cross Safe Corps team responded immediately by opening an evacuation shelter for 102 Humboldt County residents.

Once the tsunami threat was lifted in Humboldt County, the Safe Corps team traveled up to Crescent City to operate a 296 person shelter for the Del Norte County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The Safe Corps team was able to provide warmth, safety, food and comfort for the affected Del Norte & Humboldt County residents over that tumultuous weekend.

LA Cesar Chavez Day Event

With Cesar Chavez Service Day approaching, it was soon realized that Hildemar Cruz had her mind set. She knew that Habitat for Humanity was the perfect fit. It would be outside, in an area of need, and leave us all with a sense of accomplishment through hard work. Hildi was right on the money by all accounts.

John Vidaurrazaga (who kindly signed out a van at an ungodly hour of the morning) and Felicia Matz arrived at Shatto to pick up Hildi (along with 2 more volunteers she recruited) and Charlie Allen. We arrived in Lynwood at 7:30am and were met there by Angelica Gamboa and our San Gabriel comrades Jennifer Lazo and Lindsay Youngquist. Even (Big Boss) Brian McConnell was there to lend a hand.

We were given a quick briefing and overview of the Habitat for Humanity mission. Then there was a tour of the worksite along with safety rules. Once the introduction was over, we were assigned our various jobs. Most were tasked with cleaning the nearly finished houses by sweeping, scrubbing, and vacuuming. John attached many door stops, Brian sealed sinks, and Felicia and Charlie dug trenches and laid plumbing.
After a brief lunch it was right back to work. Some jobs changed, while others kept digging. Everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time while working. By all accounts we did a pretty good job. By the time we left, everyone was pretty exhausted. It was a fun day full of fulfillment and knowing we did something positive.

SD DAT Calls

In March, the San Diego California Safe Corps (CSC) members, Dora Arnold and Mariana Vasconcelos responded to three Disaster Response calls. One of them was a Canteen Call, and two were DAT calls. The Canteen Call was a gas leakage in a residential neighborhood and while the firefighters attended to this situation, the San Diego/Imperial Counties American Red Cross provided water, Gatorade, and snacks to the firefighters, to the residents who were affected, and the electrical technicians from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG & E). The members responded to the DAT Calls by completing Damage Assessment and Client Casework for the clients who were affected in a home fire. It was a great experience for the members to drive to and respond to the Disaster calls.

SD CPR Saturday

On March 19th, the San Diego California Safe Corps (CSC) members, Dora Arnold, Mariana Vasconcelos, and Charlie Allen certified 3, 200 people for the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties 20th annual CPR Saturday. Dora and Mariana both taught People Skills and Manikin Skills in the Spanish-speaking section for CPR Saturday. Charlie taught Conscious Choking in the English-speaking section. CPR Saturday San Diego / Imperial Counties American Red Cross is an annual free event held at the San Diego Concourse in Downtown which certifies the public in Adult CPR. The languages which the CPR is taught are; English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.

San Jose CSC members Go to the Dark Side