A Year of Crisis

This has been a year of crisis — both seen and unseen — for families and communities.

The big crises we’ve seen on TV included extreme climate disasters such as Hurricane Ian, severe floods in Kentucky, and wildfires throughout California; the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; and the first-ever national American Red Cross blood crisis in January 2022.

But there were personal crises too — unseen to many beyond those experiencing them: an apartment fire in Santa Maria displacing more than 20 families, the person who needed CPR during a cardiac arrest, the family who needed to contact a deployed service member during an emergency, and the hospital patient who needed a lifesaving blood transfusion.

For all these crises and more, people in Santa Barbara County stepped up to help through the Pacific Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross. Our volunteers — who comprise more than 90 percent of the national Red Cross workforce — along with our blood donors are simply amazing. Although they’re ordinary individuals like you and me, their compassionate gifts make an extraordinary difference in people’s most dire moments.

As crises continue to upend lives every day, join us to give help and hope for people in need by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, schedule an appointment to give blood, or become a Red Cross volunteer.

On behalf of those we serve, we thank you for your support in 2022.