Celena Roldan - American Red Cross

In this episode, I catch up with Celena Roldan, Chicago & Northern Illinois CEO of the American Red Cross. Each year, this region responds to 1,200 natural and man-made disasters, and teaches more than a quarter million people in Chicagoland each year health, safety and disaster preparedness skills. Prior to joining Red Cross, Celena served as the Executive Director of Erie Neighborhood House which was founded in 1870 to strengthen low-income, primarily Latino families through skill-building, access to critical resources, advocacy and collaborative action. We learn about: American Red Cross’ work that goes beyond emergency response, including being a critical partner to home fire response in the region; Their efforts to go into neighborhoods and educate communities around fire safety; The work the Red Cross is doing to build trust among Latino families; What’s similar and different about her work at Erie and the Red Cross; Celena reflects on her time in Louisiana after catastrophic flooding; and Shares her thoughts on the importance of balance and self-care in non-profit work.