By Bernadett Leggis, AmeriCorps Member/Disaster Cycle Services
On April 11-13, I hosted an American Red Cross Week for students at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera. It was an extremely rewarding week because as an El Rancho High School (ERHS) alumna and a Pico Rivera resident, I was able to give back to my community by creating awareness on the campus about disaster preparedness.
Here’s what happened: On the first day my team and I presented to over 450 students about disaster preparedness. On the second day, we ran a competitive obstacle course that incorporated components from our presentation, including Make a kit; Get low, stay low, and go; and Exit your home in under 2 minutes! On the third day we had a Prepare Teens Jeopardy Game where we tested students’ knowledge on disaster preparedness.
Throughout the duration of the American Red Cross Week at El Rancho we also had a lunch outreach table that helped students learn more about the American Red Cross mission and the volunteer opportunities that we offer. Our week was so popular that over 30 students expressed interest in starting a Red Cross Youth Club at ERHS!
A special thanks to my sister, Samantha Leggis, who is currently an 11th grader at ERHS, the Associated Student Body and their adviser April Leal, and James Sorenson, one of my former English teachers, who helped make the week so successful. It was a great experience to visit my alma mater and witness all the positive changes that have taken place at ERHS since I graduated. GO DONS!
