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Lake County proclaims March 2025 American Red Cross Month
Summary
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation recognizing March 2025 as American Red Cross Month, highlighting the Red Cross California Gold Country region, an embedded climate adaptation team and the county's Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD).
The Lake County Board of Supervisors proclaimed March 2025 as American Red Cross Month, a ceremonial action the board adopted and the chair signed to recognize local volunteers and Red Cross programs that support disaster response and preparedness in the county.
The proclamation, read aloud by Supervisor Pyska, notes the history of the American Red Cross and the local work of the Red Cross California Gold Country region. “It's a proclamation designating March 2025 as American Red Cross Month in Lake County,” Supervisor Pyska said while reading the text adopted by the board.
The measure honors volunteers who respond to home fires and other emergencies, and it underscores partnerships intended to strengthen local preparedness. Vice Chair Rasmussen said the county benefits from a Red Cross climate adaptation team embedded in Lake County: “But what's really incredible is we have the climate adaptation team here, which we are very select few nationwide that have a permanent full time team embedded in our county,” Rasmussen said, adding the team works year-round on resilience efforts.
A Red Cross representative described the county's Community Organizations Active in Disaster, or COAD, as a locally led network that supplements external aid when disasters exceed federal or state capacity. “We are our own saviors. We, in this community, are the ones that can make a difference for our community,” the speaker said, noting the COAD now includes more than 35 agencies.
Speakers described local preparedness work that includes resiliency hubs that can operate when power is out and coordination with county social services to stand up shelters. Rachel Doolman Parsons, Lake County social services director, thanked the Red Cross for frequently supporting sheltering efforts: “Red Cross comes in and saves the day frequently. They make our job easier,” Parsons said.
The proclamation asks residents to support the Red Cross humanitarian mission and notes opportunities to volunteer through redcross.org. The board’s proclamation was “passed and adopted this March 2025” and signed by Board Chair EJ Crandall, according to the adopted text.
County and Red Cross speakers also announced related items for local partners: the COAD meets next in Lucerne at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center on April 16, and the climate adaptation team and other Red Cross programs will continue coordination with local shelters and social services.
