Devestations happen every day, whether it be a car accident, a natural disaster, or a freak accident. Preparation for these events can save lives. The Arroyo Grande High School’s Red Cross club teaches students important skills to prepare them for life’s obstacles.
“We never know what our world is [going to] bring to us,” club advisor Gail Varvel said. “We have to be able to work together and help each other solve the problems that come at us.”
The Red Cross club’s mission is to help students develop necessary skills for life-altering situations through trainings and helpful events.
“[Our club is going to] try to do a lesson on CPR,” co-president of the Red Cross club Rosazucena Ibarra-Alvarez (‘26) said. “[Training would get people] CPR certified.”
While CPR certification is a new element to the Red Cross club, the club also plans to implement past projects that helped the community.
“[The Red Cross club] volunteered [to remove and replace] the fire [alarms] for elderly homes [in] Santa Maria,” Ibarra-Alvarez said. “We teamed up with the Cal Poly Red Cross club, and we both did a sock drive for the Women’s Homeless Shelter.”
Leadership shifted in the club this year. Ibarra-Alvarez and other co-president Britney Sandoval-Luis (‘26) stepped up this year to keep the club alive.
“I used to be a very [introverted] person, but [Mrs. Varvel] gave me the opportunity to take over this club, and I [thought it was] a great opportunity,” Ibarra-Alvarez said.
The Red Cross club fosters a sense of community, and a goal this year is to expand their community.
“Last year, [the Red Cross Club] had a fairly small group of people, [consisting of] mostly seniors,” Sandoval-Luis said. “We want to expand [the club] to [all grade levels].”
Both leaders of the club hope to not only grow their club in size, but also build a stronger sense of community within the club.
“[In the Red Cross Club, new members will] meet a lot of people that are kind and really amazing people,” Sandoval-Luis said.
Not only does the club promote friendships and real-life skills, but it is also a nationally-recognized organization with many benefits.
“A red cord [can be received if] you complete a certain amount of hours,” Sandoval-Luis said. “Community service hours [are given out] since our events [help to promote] school events.”
However, the club isn’t about simply earning community service hours. This club is for people with the Red Cross mentality—people who want to help the community.
“[The club has a] great group of leaders that are very committed to the Red Cross philosophy and the good that Red Cross does,” Varvel said. “[The club wants] kids that are in the right mindset of what we want to do with the club.”
The Red Cross club is at AGHS to stay and strives to help the community in any way possible.
