American Red Cross of Northern California

Mission - 

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

The humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross connects us to people and communities across the nation and around the world. The common bonds of humanity and compassion unite us together, not just in the face of emergencies and disasters, but in helping our neighbors every day. Since being founded by Clara Barton in 1881, the Red Cross has been a consistent lifeline for people when they need us the most. The depth and breadth of our services -- whenever and wherever they are called for -- is unmatched by any organization in the world.

Home Fire Campaign - 

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes. The vast majority are home fires. After these fires, families are often devastated, sometimes without shoes or coats, watching their homes burn. During challenging times such as these, it’s even more important for our local Red Cross to help the people who need it most. 

Launched in October 2014, the Home Fire Campaign has three primary goals:

- Reduce home fire deaths and injuries by 25%;

- Increase the number of home fire responses by 10%; and

- Improve assistance we provide to home fire victims.

Our Disaster Action Team (DAT) members are on-call 24/7, ready to help whenever a home fire occurs. Thanks to close-working relationships with local fire departments and emergency management agencies, the Red Cross is usually notified as soon as a home fire is reported. Our workers, many of them volunteers, immediately contact families and provide emotional support. We listen closely to their needs and quickly take steps to meet them.

Often, we provide help in the form of a pre-loaded client assistance card, which work just like a credit card. With them, survivors purchase essentials, large and small:

- Food

- Lodging

- Transit

- Prescriptions

- Clothing

- Personal hygiene items, such as toothbrushes, shampoo and soap

- Baby items, including formula and diapers

On average, the Red Cross provides $855 in financial assistance to each household after a home fire, but assistance amounts are tailored to family size and livability of the home. Financial assistance is crucial in the immediate aftermath of a home fire, when families may not have emergency funds or cannot immediately activate their insurance. Not only is this the most efficient way to meet people's needs, financial assistance also empowers survivors with the means to purchase what they need -- an important first step toward their longer-term recovery.

Our Home Fire Campaign was designed to keep our community safe. We provide critical safety education so families can "Be Red Cross Ready." In CA Gold Country, we have created more than 6,816 fire escape plans with families, served more than 15,727 people through home visits and installed more than 17,191 smoke alarms making homes safer.