An Indiana Region Red Cross Team Member is deploying to California on Sunday, January 26, to assist those impacted by wildfires in southern California.

Community Disaster Program Specialist Ava Winters will join nearly 600 Red Cross disaster workers in California, including three other Indiana Region responders. On the ground, Ava will work as a housing liaison and will connect those impacted by the wildfires with local resources. This is Ava’s first national deployment.

The Red Cross is working around the clock to provide food, shelter, emotional care, recovery planning and more to thousands of Californians who are coping with the devastation of the wildfires. In emergency shelters, Red Cross caseworkers are helping residents plan their next steps and connect people with other community resources. The top priority is housing, but we’re also helping people with transportation, health care, childcare and other needs. Over 16,000 structures have been destroyed and rain this weekend could lead to new threats, like flash flooding and landslides over the burn-scarred areas.

Click here to access California wildfires b-roll.

HOW TO HELP Families are depending on the Red Cross for assistance now, and we need your support. Help people affected by the 2025 California Wildfires by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a donation. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.

About the American Red Cross Indiana Region:
The American Red Cross of Indiana Region serves 6.9 million people in 104 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio through its five chapters: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Indiana or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @indianaredcross. LinkedIn: American Red Cross of Indiana.