Sonoma County Volunteers Go To Aid Hurricane Sandy Relief

Two volunteers from Santa Rosa, and one each from Napa, Ukiah, Kelseyville, and McKinleyville, have been sent to aid in the Red Cross relief effort for Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. No one from Sonoma Valley has gone yet, but that could change as more people will likely be sent when flights resume, spokesperson Ellen Silver told Patch today.

Thousands of people took refuge from Hurricane Sandy in American Red Cross shelters Sunday night as the massive storm neared the East Coast. Nearly 11,000 people spent the night in 258 Red Cross shelters in 16 states. 

The six volunteers from five North Bay counties—Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, and Humboldt—have been deployed to the East Coast. They are assisting in feeding and sheltering those affected, as well as providing client services that work to accommodate each person’s individual needs.   

Dr. Joe Clendenin, a retired doctor from Santa Rosa, is providing medical services at a shelter in New Jersey, Silver said.

"He's dealt with an appendicitis attack, along with a host of smaller medical issues for a shelter of 350 people," she told Patch by email.

Rick Paige, former Director of Emergency Services for Mendocino County (Ukiah), is working as a government liaison, according to Silver.

"This role means he works with local and federal officials to find out what Red Cross services are needed, and then with the Red Cross to provide the services when possible," she said.

No other names of North Bay volunteers are available at this time.

Due to storm conditions, deployment has been placed on hold until it becomes safe to fly again.  

The Red Cross has deployed more than 1,300 disaster workers to the region from all over the country and more than 230,000 ready-to-eat meals have been sent into the area.  

Bay Area National Guard also will assist with relief efforts, as reported on KGO Radio in this story.

To help find a loved one affected by the storm, people can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross web site, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or check their local media outlets. People can also register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website, a secure and easy-to-use online tool that helps families connect during emergencies. To register, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). This site also connects with the Twitter and Facebook accounts of users.  

The Red Cross predicts a large, costly relief response. Financial donations help the Red Cross provide services to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can

•        Visit www.redcross.org,
•        call 1-800-RED-CROSS,
•        text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
•        Contributions may also be sent to American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino, & Lake Counties 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403-8070
•     or the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

RED CROSS APPSMore than 235,000 people downloaded the free Red Cross Hurricane App Friday when Sandy began approaching. The app gives up-to-date weather alerts, information on open Red Cross shelters, a toolkit with a flashlight, strobe light and alarm and a one-touch “I’m Safe” button that lets someone use social media outlets to let family and friends know they are okay.   The app is available in Spanish just by changing the smart phone setting to Spanish before downloading.   The First Aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in a person’s hand. Both can be found in the Apple App Storeand the Google Play Storefor Android by searching for American Red Cross.