California Fires Touch Honolulu Woman of His Neighbors, Was Able to Escape His Burning Home Safely

fold page 4 American Red Cross shows up A year in review for a man in need Thank you for your support A publication of the American Red Cross Hawaii State Chapter Spring 2016 On a typical Monday night, Ronaldo Tampon, of Waianae, lost his home to a fire. He was home at the time that the fire got out of control, and with the help more than California fires touch Honolulu woman of his neighbors, was able to escape his burning home safely. 1,220,000 In September 2015, raging California Butte and Valley fires meals and snacks served burned more than 150,000 square acres and destroyed Ronaldo luckily was not critically more than 1,700 homes, displacing thousands of families. injured, but he lost all of his personal The American Red Cross began helping within the first items including his phone, keys, wallet, The scene of Ronaldo’s home on the night of the fire. minutes of the fires, providing shelter, food, water, basic critical documents and medications in necessities, mental health, and basic health services for the fire. thousands of people in the path of the wildfires. fold It’s the generosity and support of our nearly Responding after donors and volunteers that allow us to Tina Doty, an Oahu Disaster Services mental health the disaster respond to disasters like these every 4 855,000 volunteer, was on a trip from Honolulu to Napa Valley days in Hawaii. Your continued relief items delivered when the fires broke out. When she arrived she was Oahu Red Cross Disaster Volunteers commitment enables the Red Cross to to individuals and families unaware that that one of the most destructive wildfires in were there to help Ronaldo replace his show up for families who have lost the area’s history was about to take hold. personal items, secure temporary everything to a home fire or other “I remember looking out my window at the vineyards and housing and obtain financial support for disaster. noticing the wind had picked up,” says Tina. “I got an immediate emergency needs such as “The Red Cross has been a great help,” ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach and I hastily made clothing and food. “The Red Cross was says Ronaldo. “They are just an my way to the Red Cross shelter to offer my assistance.” members and then speeding through fireballs to escape. right there with the Fire Department awesome organization.” nearly Many lost their homes and all of their belongings. and the ambulance to help me out,” says Rushing to help Ronaldo. “I know they help a lot of Compassion and care come first Help people like Ronaldo rebuild 37,000 people who are in situations like mine, their lives after being struck by overnight stays provided for Tina was quickly given a Red Cross vest, hat, and t-shirt and “I realized that that this was my very first large-scale where unfortunate things happen.” tragedy. Visit redcross.org/support people after severe storms, fires put to work. “I saw many people covered in soot, a look of community disaster as a Red Cross volunteer,” says Tina. and other disasters shock, despair, and hopelessness etched upon their faces.” “Kudos goes out to the many area firefighters who are still 29013 54004 She recalls tragic stories of residents barely making it out of fighting the blaze. We were lucky that our house was the fire areas alive, often with just a few belongings or the unaffected. Although I was definitely not anticipating this Mahalo to our corporate sponsors for their support in helping local families pets they could carry. “One resident mentioned that he was terrible event, I took away from it that even with all the unable to start their car because he realized that he was Gold partners: global problems taking place around us, human caring and fold holding his house keys. When he turned around to get his compassion still rules. I am very proud to be a Red Cross car key, his house was burning,” says Tina. “He walked out volunteer.” of the area and eventually made it to the shelter.” Help families in your own community and across Other people who made it to the shelter told stories of the country who are facing an emergency— having just enough time to get in their vehicles with family visit redcross.org/hi/honolulu Inside Join us online to see the latest news and P2 A message from P3 Hawaii Red Cross P4 Red Cross shows up information, and to Coralie Chun Matayoshi Club Matson clean-up for a man in need connect with other supporters like you! Silver partners: facebook.com/redcross twitter.com/redcross ARC29013_NEWSLETTER_Honolulu.indd 1 3/9/16 3:13 PM fold page 2 page 3 A message Fire prevention and safety come first Hawaii Red Cross Club Matson clean-up from the CEO During National Home Fire Prevention neighborhood, and were motivated to Recently over 130 Hawaii Red Cross Club students from 15 Month in October, Hawaii Red Cross take the necessary precautions to different Oahu high schools spent their Saturday cleaning Volunteers, along with representatives increase their home fire safety up Ala Moana Beach Park. Students that participated in from the Honolulu Fire Department and measures. this event were from Aiea, IPA, Mililani, Kaimuki, Midpac, the International Brotherhood of Nanakuli, Punahou , Hawaii Baptist Academy, Iolani, Electric Workers, Local Union 1186, “It was a very good experience to have Kaiser, Kamehameha, Hawaii Technical Academy, La visited homes across Oahu to install 190 organizations like the Red Cross and Pietra, Roosevelt and the Hawaii Chapter Red Cross Club. free smoke alarms. Two homes were Fire Department to promote this program to seniors,” says Roy Higa. “I The students’ dedicated effort towards this clean-up project You answered the call. provided with adaptive alarms for the visually and hearing impaired. feel much safer with the smoke alarms earned a $1,000 donation from the Matson Foundation to We thank you. and would recommend this program to the Hawaii Red Cross through their Ka Ipu ‘Aina project. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of others.” Every March during Red Cross death by home fires in half and as part In addition, Red Cross Club members on Oahu and Waimea Help promote fire safety in your fold Month we take time to reflect of the Red Cross mission to prevent, also held a holiday toiletry drive in November at their high community—to learn more, visit on the impact you and the prepare for and respond to emergencies, schools to benefit local veterans. Mahalo to our hard- redcross.org/prepare entire American Red Cross our local Red Cross volunteers are working youth Red Cross volunteers, who are helping to community has on the lives of educating the community and providing spread the Red Cross mission across new generations! so many. It’s also the time of vital information on fire safety and the For more information on joining a Hawaii Red Cross High school students from across the area joined forces to clean up year when we renew our Ala Moana Beach Park. importance of maintaining working Club or starting a Red Cross Club at your school, commitment to our mission—to smoke alarms. email [email protected] prevent and relieve suffering. It’s a simple yet powerful call to This event was a follow-up to the Red action, which you have Cross canvassing event in Pauoa Valley, answered time and again. where the home of two elderly residents Red Cross keeps military family connected during emergencies was destroyed in a fire in August. One Please know that your support home was that of the Higa family, who Imagine having a family emergency and not being able to Jennifer was desperate to speak with her husband but didn’t of the Hawaii Red Cross truly were so grateful for this program. They contact your significant other. That’s what happened to have his command point of contacts with her and even if she makes a difference in the lives were aware of the tragic home fire Jennifer Kirchner while visiting her parents in New York. did, she didn’t think that they would respond until Monday. of those who need us the most. deaths that recently occurred in their Volunteers bring fire safety home. In the middle of her vacation she received a call that her “What I did have was a Red Cross contact card that my I have seen despair turn into stepson, Joshua, was hospitalized with newly diagnosed husband received in a pre-deployment briefing,” says hope—from the emergency Type 1 diabetes. Jennifer. “He told me to keep it in case of an emergency and shelters housing disaster that the Red Cross would be able to get a message to him victims to the military hospitals “At the time, my husband was deployed in a remote wherever he was. I called the number, gave the person who caring for our wounded heroes. location in Asadabad, Afghanistan and there was no direct answered as much information as I could and waited.” All thanks to you. Two more ways you can give to Hawaii Red Cross way to contact him, nor was there any certainty of when fold his next phone call might be,” recalls Jennifer. Jennifer’s husband, Mel recalls his Army commander I hope that as you enjoy this and help bring comfort and compassion to informing him that he was contacted by the Red Cross issue of Crossnotes, you’ll neighbors in need: concerning his son.

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