As if thousands of homes completely submerged under water was not enough, all the personal belongings the citizens had accumulated throughout their lives disappeared with one hit of Sandy. Immediately, the modern day “superhero,” Red Cross, rushed to the eastern seaboard to assist the hurricane victims. Carlsbad High also pursues the vision of this national organization, as the leaders of CHS’s Red Cross Club continuously push to ensure that all people receive assistance in moments of oppression.

“We complete the Red Cross mission, which is to help the suffering of those in need, both close and far from home,” senior Masami Amakawa said. “We adopted the mission statement for the Carlsbad High School Red Cross Club to set standards for the club. Like the main Red Cross, we try to alleviate suffering in other countries and also on a smaller scale.”

Every season — whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter — Red Cross focuses on a project that correlates with its overarching goal: improving the standards of life. Striving to be as efficient and helpful as possible, the members attempt to mend hardships around the world.

“On a large scale, we have the measles mission, which we do every spring. We collect money from fundraisers, in which we sell pins and stickers, and every dollar earned vaccinates every child with measles,” Amakawa said. “We send the money to the headquarters, and they distribute it to other countries, such as Africa and many third world countries. Also, if a natural disaster strikes, we collect donations to help the citizens suffering.”

Throughout the year, the club localizes its projects as well.  From holiday notes to canned food, Red Cross’s works benefit the San Diego community.

“During fall, we write holiday cards to war veterans to help bring joy to the Americans around the corner. We write the cards to give back to veterans, who fought for our country. We just want to show our appreciation to everything they have done and to demonstrate that we remember them,” junior Dvaita Lakshmin said. “Throughout winter, we have our cannned food drive, where we go door to door collecting cans. This shows the community that people in their city need help through the holidays.”

This December, the club will send these letters to the Red Cross San Diego headquarters, where the the workers will distribute the notes to war veterans. Not only does this simple act brighten the holiday season for the recipients, but the creators also receive community service hours.

Always on the look-out for new members, Red Cross’s doors are wide open. Members enjoy lunch every even Thursday in room 7105, working toward their common goal of improving the standards of life for all.

“As a freshman, a lot of upperclassmen told me to get involved and I knew the Red Cross was for something good, so I joined. It has been a great experience. I have stuck with it all four years,” senior Vylana Trang said. “The purpose is to spread awareness about national disasters around the community and to help those people. I have loved the time in Red Cross club and look forward to my final year.”