Cruz Roja Mexicana is in the house! Since Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross has become a close partner with its sister society from Mexico. While separate organizations, the two nonprofits are part of an international federation that offers mutual support and aid.
As Houston residents reel from the third major flood in less than a year, several members of the Cruz Roja have offered their services in assisting in delivering clean up supplies, food and other items to the affected areas.
This is Gustavo Santellan’s fourth deployment to the United States. He says he loves meeting all the people, “but the language can be a challenge.” Yet their fluency in Spanish is a great help when communicating with some of the residents who have lost their homes in the floods.
One role of Cruz Roja in Mexico is as EMTs and ambulance service, which means that the members of this unit tend to focus on individuals having a health crisis.
“I love coming to help in the United States,” says Eric Travesi. “Here I can help many more people doing disaster relief, bringing them hope.”
If you see one of our Cruz Roja friends in the field, make sure you say, “Hola!”
A version of this post originally appeared on the Texas Gulf Coast American Red Cross blog.