Lindsay Grove, major gifts officer for the American Red Cross of Santa Barbara County, will be leaving this Sunday for Oklahoma.
She will be deployed as a fundraiser to assist with processing donations received for the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes.
Grove has been with the Red Cross for more than seven months and has had a lifelong passion for volunteering and disaster response. Prior to her role at the Red Cross, she worked with Habitat for Humanity in post-Katrina New Orleans as a volunteer coordinator and then construction forward planner. She oversaw the building of more than 200 homes during her tenure, including the completion of the Upper Ninth Ward’s Musicians’ Village.
“I am very excited to use my fundraising talents to help the people of Oklahoma,” said Grove, who recently completed her master’s degree in philanthropic studies and nonprofit management from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “I know that I will be able to use my education to make a difference, and at the same time gain valuable hands-on experience to better support Red Cross efforts in Santa Barbara County.”
Three weeks after the tornadoes hit Oklahoma, Grove will be joining more than 1,000 Red Cross workers who continue to provide shelter, food, relief supplies, health services and emotional support.
Grove leaves Sunday and will be deployed for up to two weeks.
— Giselle Gomez is a regional communications manager for the American Red Cross.