Originally slated to take a cooking class with the celebrated Santa Clarita area Chef Merry Graham, the First Year Cadets of Girl Scout Troop 2052 instead decided to cook for wildfire evacuees displaced by the Sand Fire.
Though food donations were not being accepted by the Red Cross, the girls’ commitment to helping the evacuees never wavered. Upon the suggestion from Chef Merry, the girls elected to double the fees for the cooking class and donate it to the Red Cross. Accompanied by adult leader Kelli Davis, the five girls came to the Hart High School Evacuation shelter today and made a monetary donation.
True to the Girl Scout mission of “courage, confidence, and character”, these 10- and 11-year-old girls, who all live within a mile of forced evacuation zones, came forward and demonstrated their commitment to helping those members of their communities during their time of need.
After making their donation, the girls learned how a Red Cross shelter runs and enjoyed a lunch prepared by the Salvation Army. Seeing an operating shelter was a first for the girls, who “never thought a Red Cross shelter would look so nice!" Red Cross shelter volunteers explained to the girls the ways in which their donations go to helping the victims and families in their own area. Finally, a visit to the Red Cross would not have been complete without a discussion on preparedness and what the girls could do to make themselves and their families better prepared for any future disaster.
Since the afternoon of July 22nd, the Sand Fire has burned over 35,000 acres, including a number of structures, with over 3,000 firefighters battling the blaze. The Red Cross has opened three public shelters for those displaced by the fire, and while sheltering is beginning to wind down, case work assistance will continue long after the last embers have been extinguished. Donations, like those from Girl Scout troop 2052 of the Coyote Canyon Service Unit, ensure that Red Cross disaster assistance is always free of charge.
Photo by Communications Volunteer Debi Moraza
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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Support all the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross.
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