By Randy Ogden

Imagine the stress of being evacuated from your home, not knowing if extended family or neighbors were also able escape. Are they safe? Were they hurt? Where can I find them?

The American Red Cross understands how critical it is for families to reconnect and the desperation that comes with uncertainty after disasters. Since wildfires erupted around Los Angeles on January 7th, we have received hundreds of requests for help.

Red Cross volunteer Helen Brooks is one of the many volunteers working in California as part of our Reunification Team. She is stationed at the Pasadena Civic Center, primarily helping connect people impacted by the Eaton wildfire.

Helen has been a Red Cross volunteer, reuniting families, for 14 years. She treats each new client as a member of ‘her’ family, with care and compassion. With four active fires in the region and evacuations still in place, the need is great, and tensions are high. Helen knows it is important to track down missing friends and loved ones as quickly as possible.

Asked why she does what she does, Helen says “I care about people, they care about their people. I want to take away even the smallest amount of angst. If I can find their loved ones and reduce even the smallest worry and help them ease their recovery, then I’ve done my job.”

After someone reaches out to the Red Cross, we collect as much information as possible including both legal and preferred names, pre-disaster address, birthdate, and more. We compare this information to shelter registration lists and any information available from community partners, law enforcement and government agencies. We call local hospitals to see if the person is registered as a patient, and we also comb through media reports and social media sites.

It is important to note that each search can be different depending on the individual circumstances. If you need assistance locating a missing loved one because of the fires, visit redcross.org/findfamily or reach us at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).