Urgent call for Red Cross volunteers

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Apr. 23, 2024) — The American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region is still urgently seeking volunteers following its annual March Is Red Cross Month celebration. The event honors local community heroes who help ensure that their neighbors never face crises alone.

Red Cross Month, a national tradition that began in March 1943, aims to recognize the critical work of the Red Cross in communities across the country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation, a practice followed by each U.S. president since.

With the Red Cross responding to disasters more frequently and on a larger scale, the organization is encouraging members of the community to join as volunteers. There are various roles available, from virtual to in-person opportunities, both behind-the-scenes and in the field, including getting involved with the “signature period” of Sound the Alarm events in April.

Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in half.

Volunteers are urgently needed to help install more than 1,200 free smoke alarms for families across the Northern California Coastal Region, where home fires remain the most frequent disaster affecting the community. No prior experience is needed, as training will be provided. Those interested can register online at SoundTheAlarm.org/NCCR to volunteer for any of these local Sound the Alarm events taking place across the Bay Area.

To learn more about Red Cross Month, Sound the Alarm, and other Red Cross programs and services, visit: redcross.org/norcalcoastal.