The selfless work of these two Native American Red Crossers was pivotal in shaping how we deliver lifesaving care and training. Lula Owl Gloyne and William F. Tyndall both dedicated themselves to serving the unique health needs of their communities. Lula was a registered nurse who often traveled on difficult terrain to deliver babies and care for sick families. She also helped establish the first hospital for her tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. William supported and educated youth on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Three nights a week, he taught essential lifesaving skills as a Red Cross First Aid Instructor. We are grateful for the compassion, knowledge and insights of Native American humanitarians throughout our history. Their contributions to our mission deepen our efforts in reaching and supporting our Tribal communities.

We are honored to be recognized as a leader in online learning, thanks to the innovative work of our lifesaving training. @Newsweek ranked the American Red Cross among the 50 top online learning providers in the U.S. in 2024. We're proud of our American Red Cross Training Services teams' dedication to delivering high-quality, adaptive and accessible first aid and CPR training programs to help professionals and the public prepare for when moments matter. Read more: https://rdcrss.org/4fT9XtC.

When a wildfire in Central California forced people to evacuate their homes, they found refuge at a Red Cross shelter. American Red Cross Central California Region volunteers were there to comfort them and provide warm meals, health services, and essential resources. Here are some of the stories of the people we helped: • Miyoshi Higa: She captured an image of the fast-moving Mountain Fire threatening her neighborhood. “I smelled smoke and thought my neighbor was cooking,” she said. “My roommate came home and said we have to go now. We grabbed my oxygen tank, my medicines and a rescue inhaler. You couldn’t see the homes on the hill above.” • Tom Van Scive: He and his family gathered at the shelter to plan their next steps. “We just needed a place for the family to meet and regroup,” he said. “We found a friend who could take us in for a few nights, but it was comforting to know the Red Cross was here if we needed it.” • Karen Cihigoyenetche: She grabbed her ‘Bug-Out Bag’ and evacuated with her family and rescue dog, Simon. Her emergency bag included extra clothes, shoes and dog food. • The Goldsteins: They were at the pharmacy when they received the evacuation notice. “We went back home and thought we could ride it out,” Darryl said. “The smoke kept getting thicker and darker, so we knew it was time to leave.” They evacuated with their turtles, Homer and Clyde. Changes in our climate have caused warmer, drier conditions, leading to longer wildfire seasons. Be prepared to take action if one sparks by following these tips: https://rdcrss.org/3ZdBYGO

Veteran Chuck Lopushansky will never forget how the Red Cross was there for him while he was serving in the U.S. Army. Now, he's paying forward that positive impact as a volunteer. While on a military plane somewhere between Korea and the U.S., an emergency occurred back home. Chuck received an emergency message through the Red Cross, informing him that a family member had passed away. "This was before phone calls on airplanes were really possible," Chuck said. "The Red Cross will go to any lengths to get messages to our troops." Today, Chuck is using his 20 years of military experience to support his community and the American Red Cross of Louisiana. He volunteers at his local military hospitals, leading pre-deployment briefings and sharing important Red Cross resources, like the Hero Care Network. Our Hero Care Network assists military families during medical emergencies or significant life events, getting emergency communication messages to service members while they are deployed. We're so grateful for volunteers like Chuck who uplift this important part of our mission. ❤️

You belong. You matter. ❤️ We strive to provide opportunities for our staff and volunteers to use their authentic, unique voices in ways that will strengthen their workplace experience and our lifesaving mission. One of the ways we do this is through our Team Member Resource Groups (TMRGs). Our TMRGs are intentional spaces for all Red Crossers across different identities to have an opportunity to express themselves, gain professional development experience and be a pivotal part of organizational goals. As we approach National Employee Resource Group Day, we want to celebrate all of our TMRGs and the Red Crossers who make them vibrant and impactful every day!

This mother-daughter duo joined forces to help people in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. 🥹 Jennie and Jezzalyn Ringler are volunteers from the American Red Cross Minnesota & Dakotas Region. They’ve been delivering hundreds of meals from one of our emergency response vehicles to impacted communities and distribution sites. Jezzalyn recently became a Red Cross volunteer and is on her first deployment with her mom. Her favorite part of being on the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) team — aside from spending the day with her mom — is meeting people and hearing their stories. “We’ve got regulars, we see them every day,” Jezzalyn said. “We get to hear about their lives, about their recovery. Many of them are veterans, too.” Contrary to her daughter, Jennie is no stranger to responding to disasters. She’s been volunteering and serving as an ERV driver since 2011. “You get a groove going and you keep it that way,” Jennie said. The Ringlers have been serving at least 100 meals a day at a community care center in Buncombe County. This is a place where people can do their laundry, take a shower, pick up supplies like jugs of potable water, and, of course, enjoy a hot meal. We deeply appreciate their dedication and teamwork in supporting those in need.

After spending three years as a 911 dispatcher, Alisha Chambliss was inspired by her mother to join the Red Cross, who also worked there and shared how rewarding it was. “That feeling of helping people and feeling like my job actually meant something was something I liked,” Alisha said. Alisha joined our Hero Care Center in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and supports military members, veterans and their families. She plays a key role in helping service members receive communications from their loved ones about births, deaths or other emergencies. “We’re trying to help these service members get home to help their family with these emergencies and give that support,” Alisha said. "It really just makes me feel good when people say, ‘Thank you for your service.’"

It takes a village to support communities after disasters strike, and we’re grateful to the 275+ Bank of America employees who generously volunteered their time to help people in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. These employee volunteer groups joined our disaster workers on the ground in Asheville and surrounding areas to help conduct damage assessments for over 5,000 homes impacted by the storm. Disaster assessment volunteers play a crucial role in the recovery process following a disaster like Helene. Teams have spent hours each day walking through neighborhoods, including remote and hard-to-reach locations, to survey damage to homes. The data they gather helps the Red Cross determine the extent of the damage, identify where the greatest needs are located, and connect communities to recovery resources. “Hurricane Helene severely impacted Western North Carolina, leaving communities devastated and residents in need,” said David Dowd, president of Bank of America Asheville. “We are grateful to the American Red Cross for providing much-needed support including shelter, food, financial assistance and relief supplies.” Bank of America has been an annual disaster relief donor for over 20 years and is currently a member of the Annual Disaster Giving Program at the $1 million level. Inspired by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, they recently contributed an additional $2 million for disaster relief. Beyond financial contributions and volunteer support, Bank of America hosts Red Cross blood drives, provides employee giving and matching opportunities, and has donated first aid kits.

We have a small, but mighty, video production team here at the Red Cross, led by Brad Zerivitz. We sat down with him to learn more about his career journey and the fulfilling opportunities he's found in and out of work, like biking across Africa!

Don't freeze up in an emergency situation. As temperatures drop in the months ahead, you should know the signs of severe hypothermia. Test your first aid knowledge below, and check the comments tomorrow for the correct answer.