# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CsmSfcQNEOp
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/6674801-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3ab45c9e4c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-05-23T19:59:36.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

Kristina Blüm Justice is an EMT and Red Cross disaster health volunteer for RedCrossCentralCA. She began volunteering six years ago and served locally with hopes of helping during a disaster response. ⚕️ ⛑️

Following the devastation of Hurricane Ian, Kristina joined hundreds of volunteers on the ground in Florida during a two-week deployment.

In her first week, she was at a shelter in Venice, Florida, and helped replace medical equipment and prescriptions that people lost following the hurricane. She was also there to lend a listening ear and shoulder to cry on for those who needed it.

“A lot of people are working through all sorts of trauma while also trying to figure out what they’re going to do next. Our job is to be there for them so that they don’t have to deal with it alone, and to take care of their immediate needs. Everyone in my division of the Red Cross is trained in phycological first aid, which is vital in these disaster environments. I used those skills almost as much as I used my actual medical training," said Kristina.

While she was there, three kids had birthdays on the same day. The shelter staff threw a party for them and Kristina climbed a tree in order to hang a pinata. She found it heartwarming to see kids playing in the shelter and having fun despite their circumstances. 

For the second week of her deployment, Kristina moved to Fort Myers, Florida, where Hurricane Ian made its initial landfall. She assisted in bandaging and cleaning wounds for those who were cleaning up their homes.

Thank you, Kristina and all of our EMS volunteers, who help people during emergencies and when they need it most in their communities and beyond. 

#EMSWeek #RedCrossVolunteer #HurricaneIan

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 246
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## Tags

hurricaneian, redcrossvolunteer, emsweek

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