Making a Difference Red Cross

When Hurricane Katrina hit ten years ago, the heartbreak hit home for Janet Paker, even though she lived thousands of miles away in Santa Cruz. As she watched Mother Nature wreak havoc across the gulf coast, she knew she had to do something. So she joined the Santa Cruz Red Cross Chapter hoping to make a difference.

“I watched it all week and by Friday I didn’t know what to do. I found myself at the front door of the chapter. I didn’t know what I could do but I wanted to help ” said Paker.

After weeks of training she was sent to Mississippi, but nothing could prepare her for what she found.

“Winds had knocked down huge trees and just destroyed homes and neighborhoods. It was heart breaking see what people had to struggle through” said Paker.

Ever since then, Janet has been dedicated to helping those in need. It’s a commitment that’s taken her across the northeast for Hurricane Sandy and to her own back yard to help with wild fires.

“We’re here to care for our local community. We respond large and small. We respond if there’s a local fire, go out in the middle of the night just to help families find shelter. We provide food and whatever it is that someone needs.” says Michele Averill, the Chief Executive for the Central Coast Red Cross Chapter.

All year long, local volunteers respond to national disasters and local emergencies.

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering or to make a donation visit, http://www.redcross.org/ca/santa-cruz