At Yorba Linda High School, one of the standout organizations committed to community service is the Red Cross Club. Dedicated to helping others, YLHS Red Cross helps students get involved in both local and global humanitarian efforts all while earning volunteer hours. It is led by president Sarah Kang (11), vice presidents Irene Kim (11) and Jesse Kim (11), secretary Xenia Lee (11), blood drive coordinator Dana Joo (11), chapter liaison Grace Peng (11), and publicists Melody Sutanto (10) and Julia Thein (10).
The club’s mission aligns with the greater American Red Cross; Sarah explains that it is “centered on preventing and alleviating human suffering, and we are given the chance to carry out this mission through the activities and events we hold.”
Such activities and events include a MapSwipe volunteering activity and an International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Learning Day. MapSwipe was an online event “that contributed to geospatial data projects on a global scale.” This was so that organizations can be better informed and equipped to respond to disasters in particular areas. Students were also educated about the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which governs conduct during armed conflicts and aims to limit human suffering during warfare.
It is through these events that the club truly becomes special to Sarah, as she states, “The American Red Cross Club is meaningful to me because it serves as an outlet for me to take action in support of humanitarian efforts and contribute to causes that make positive differences in people’s lives.”
YLHS Red Cross is part of the Orange County Red Cross (OCRC) chapter. Within Orange County, the club provides members with several service opportunities. For example, OCRC hosts monthly GIFT (Get Involved Forum for Teens) meetings where students can interact with each other to learn about all the different events happening across the county. Service Saturdays are also a great way members can get involved; during this school year, OCRC held “Unity Through Diversity,” where they learned about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and “Chapter Beautification,” in which volunteers were able to clean up the OC chapter. Lastly, the “Sound the Alarm” event helped spread education about home safety by installing smoke alarms in Stanton.
Besides holding service projects, Red Cross also fosters a unique spirit of teamwork at YLHS. Xenia shares that “My favorite part of Red Cross would probably be our club’s community and dedication towards a successful year…even though there have been a few obstacles with some of our club plans throughout the year, none of them stopped us from improvising and continuing to find ways to help our members learn and get involved with Red Cross. I love that we can stay strong as a club and stay committed as members!”
Heading into the future, Red Cross plans to keep growing and evolving as a club. Sarah mentions that her goal is to “continue expanding opportunities for hands-on engagement. With our growing membership, we have the capacity to host more activities such as CPR certification and blood drives.” She then adds, “I hope to empower not only the club’s members, but also those in the community, to take active roles in these initiatives, strengthening their connection to the Red Cross mission and fostering a more engaged and committed club.”

With every event YLHS Red Cross organizes and every person they help, they show us all how important it is to care for others. The club not only supports the mission of the American Red Cross, but it also contributes to a sense of community that makes our school thrive.
Tiffany • Feb 20, 2025 at 7:30 AM
This club is a really good addition to our school community – great article!