Yadda yadda yadda (Photo by Hannah Klain/American Red Cross)
Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
When the devastating Los Angeles wildfires broke out in January of this year, Deanne Lau-Ino felt compelled to act. Her son is a Los Angeles firefighter and was deployed to Will Rogers State Park for fourteen days; for the first 48 hours he was unable to contact his family. “As a mother I’m just frightened, and all we could do was sit back and wait,” she explained.
Upon attending the Red Cross Disaster Relief Orientation, she was impressed with how many services Red Cross provides in times of need and she jumped right in, helping to make food for all of the volunteers who were assisting with urgent services. “It was heartwarming to see how large the organization was … and it was really cute because there were some couples that had met at, say, Katrina, were now working together again here for this event.”
After the fires abated and disaster services weren’t as urgent, Lau-Ino volunteered in a few other capacities and in July she became a Western Los Angeles Chapter coordinator for Sound the Alarm, a Red Cross program that provides free smoke alarms to families in need. Naturally an organized person with a background in project management, she has already coordinated 60 home visits to install free smoke alarms!
“I’m a people person. So I enjoy helping, for one, and I enjoy meeting people,” Lau-Ino began, when discussing how her volunteer work has impacted her. Mentioning the tough times we are facing worldwide right now she also optimistically added: “It has expanded my view of how many good people there are.”
After the fires abated and disaster services weren’t as urgent, Lau-Ino volunteered in a few other capacities and in July she became a Western Los Angeles Chapter coordinator for Sound the Alarm, a Red Cross program that provides free smoke alarms to families in need. Naturally an organized person with a background in project management, she has already coordinated 60 home visits to install free smoke alarms!
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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