The tragedy of Monday’s tornado in Oklahoma may be halfway across the country, but there are still ways we can help locally.

Jordan Scott, communications director for the American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter, said the organization is accepting donations for relief efforts. People can text REDCROSS to 9099 to make an automatic $10 donation, or can visit redcross.org to make a donation.

Scott said there are no plans yet to send teams from Northern California over to Oklahoma for relief efforts, but that it usually takes 24 to 48 hours for them to receive requests.

“Our volunteers know it may happen and to be ready,” Scott said. “We’ve got the experience and the expertise here.”

Volunteers from the area have helped out through other disasters, including the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) has launched its second annual scrubs drive for the new Health Careers Academy (HCA) in Stockton. 

The HCA provides a rigorous college prep curriculum for high school students. Many had never considered careers in health care or even struggled with graduating high school at all. The uniform at HCA is medical scrubs; however, many of the students face extreme economic hardship and some students are even homeless. 

Last year, CCHCS was able to provide thousands of new and gently new scrubs as well as various other medically related items through collections from staff all across the state! The students were so appreciative and thankful for all the support and cool new scrubs.