American Red Cross

AMERICAN RED CROSS Volunteers are needed for the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, to work the front desk at the Red Cross Service center, 1001 W. Magnolia Blvd. The task requires excellent phone etiquette, customer service skills, typing skills and consistent daytime availability. Call (818) 376-1724. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Volunteers are needed for the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop for many varied and interesting duties. Join the fun and feel rewarded.

The Burbank Home Depot and the American Red Cross teamed up Saturday at The Home Depot to provide homeowners with advice and affordable ways to safeguard their families and homes when an earthquake strikes. To recognize Earthquake Safety Month, local American Red Cross representatives shared information on how to take safety measures before a natural disaster strikes. "We want to introduce to people the necessities of pre-planning for a disaster," said Pablo Valadez, a spokesman for the Burbank Red Cross.

BURBANK ? The city of Burbank is considering purchasing the American Red Cross building at 1001 W. Magnolia Blvd., a move that could allow local community groups to use the facility, which was put on the market in February. At the March 7 council meeting, Councilmen Dave Golonski and Marsha Ramos directed city staff to look into buying the property, which, if acquired by the city, could be made available to nonprofit agencies in Burbank. The Family Services Agency, a nonprofit at 2013 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Las Candelas members participated in a Christmas party for emotionally challenged children at the Glen Roberts Child Study Center in Glendale. Members of Las Candelas along with their President Cathy Keen held a gift-wrapping session of toys and games donated on the Wednesday preceding the Childrens' Christmas Party. On the day of the party, the Glendale Kiwanis Club provided a pancake breakfast for all parents and children attending. Santa was kept busy as there were about 300 children and parents in attendance as reported by Lynn Brandstater, executive director.

LOS ANGELES -- A Glendale woman admitted in court Tuesday to taking part in a scam in which she and a male co-defendant collected money under the guise of helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. Gina Liz Nicholas plea comes four days after co-defendant Tino Lee, of Burbank, made a similar plea before U.S. District Judge George King. In plea agreements reached with federal prosecutors, Lee, 44, and Nicholas, 22, admitted to setting up a table at the Empire Center and taking cash donations they had no intention of giving to the American Red Cross to help hurricane victims, as they claimed.

Transactions will boost donations For the next two months, Lockheed Federal Credit Union will make a donation to the American Red Cross for credit card or signature-based transactions. Each time one of its 100,000 members use a Lockheed Federal Credit Union Visa or make a credit card purchase with a Visa Check Card, the credit union will make a donation, which officials estimate will be more than $40,000. The donations will be made to benefit relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast.

A Burbank man and a Glendale woman were charged in federal court Monday with false impersonation of American Red Cross members to solicit money under false pretenses. Tino Lee,44, of Burbank, and Gina Liz Nicholas, 22, of Glendale, were charged by the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles for impersonating American Red Cross volunteers taking donations for Hurricane Katrina relief outside an electronics store in Burbank. Lee and Nicholas were taken into federal custody on Monday morning by FBI agents at the Burbank Police Department jail, where they had been held since their arrest Thursday night at the Empire Center shopping center.

ANNIE P. HOVANESSIAN The Kiwanis Club of Burbank, under its Kiwanis Cares About Children (KCAC) program, is asking the Burbank community to help the survivors of the tragic tsunami disaster. Through its Tsunami Relief Fund, the group has set a goal of raising more than $30,000 to donate to CARE and the American Red Cross. International relief efforts in response to the disaster are at an unprecedented scale and relief agencies like CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere)

Edward Han The Providence St. Joseph/Providence Holy Cross BloodMobile has hit the road to make donating blood a little easier this summer for residents of the San Fernando Valley. The BloodMobile, a motor home-sized vehicle with three donating stations inside, is a privately funded project that was launched in April to make donating blood more convenient, particularly in the summer months when participation traditionally dips. "During the summer and holidays, people are unlikely to give blood just because they're doing other activities," said Dan Boyle, public relations director for Providence Holy Cross and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) seeks volunteers 55 and older to assist in various programs, including computer and Internet assistance, the Simple Will Program, and free electronic tax return assistance. Duties will include arranging and scheduling appointments, arranging reservations, selling gift certificates, collecting donations and mailing out paperwork. For more information, call Dee Call at 238-5370.