Kathleen Householder identified herself as a Southern California native who was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Alhambra with her twin sister and little brother.

Kathleen is an avid Dodgers fan.  However, she also likes to garden, skillfully growing California native plants. However, Kathleen’s talents do not extend to orchids which seem to perish in her hands.  Perhaps this is because her reading material includes a fascination with Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Kathleen’s elementary and high school education was in Catholic schools.  She gradually became weary of wearing plaid uniforms.

For her college years, Kathleen chose to stay in California rather than dwell in a snowy environment.  Whittier College proved to be the perfect liberal arts college, with a varied curriculum, small classes and extraordinary professors,  The student body size (1200 students) gave everyone a chance to know each other.  One could always get the desired classes with study sessions in professors’ homes.

After four years at Whittier, Kathleen found herself confronted with the need to repay student loans.  Applying to graduate school was a means of deferring payment.  Therefore Kathleen applied for admittance to the highly regarded U.S.C. School of Social Work.  Despite the need to complete 1,000 hours of internship, Kathleen managed to maintain a 3.5  G.P.A.

Kathleen’s internship took her to MacLaren Hall in El Monte, a Family Crisis Center in East Los Angeles, and public schools in Carson where she worked with children who had been removed from their homes for their safety.   The work included counseling the children, finding them homes with relatives, or placing them in group homes. She also provided grief support for children who had lost a parent.

When Kathleen graduated from U.S.C. with her Master’s Degree, members of her class agreed on the true definition of social worker as (1) a party-going, (2) professional idealist, (3) whose tuition exceeds gross life-time earnings.

The last element caused Kathleen to do part-time work (in retail sales) while studying at Whittier and later (as a Disneyland employee) during her post-graduate period at U.S.C.

The expensiveness of U.S.C. tuition eventually led Kathleen to become a full-time worker at Disneyland (e.g., in retail stores, event-planning, as an on-the-job trainer, etc.).  Working for Disney gave Kathleen the opportunity to meet employees, tourists, and children from all over the world.

The Disney Company is quite active in charity, encouraging its employees to volunteer with non-profit agencies, and to donate to causes of their own choosing with Disney matching such donations.  Although the seeds had already been planted as far back as high school, working with Disney solidified Kathleen’s commitment to charity work.

After ten years at Disney, Kathleen felt that it was time for a change.

In the summer of 2001, a position opened up at the Red Cross in Arcadia. With the help of Ray Bushnell and Bob Deao, Kathleen became Youth and Volunteer Services Director, a post she held from 2001 through 2006.  As such, she supervised a multitude of youth volunteers in office work, leadership camp, making treats for senior citizens, CPR training and first aid classes.

Kathleen is a CPR and First Aid Instructor.  She is also a member of the Disaster Services Human Resources Team, responding to local and large-scale disasters.  Over the years, Kathleen has staffed several shelters in response to the many fires that erupt each summer.  She has also responded to individual emergencies in Arcadia.

In 2006, Kathleen was promoted to Director of Operations.  As such, she worked on the Chapter newsletter, website articles, special events, volunteer recognition, community outreach, and youth and volunteer services.

On April 26, 2008, the Santa Anita Canyon Fire started in Sierra Madre. Disaster Team members worked as the Red Cross liaison in the Emergency Operations Center, staffed evacuation shelters, and provided canteen services to Emergency Response personnel.  Along with volunteers and other staff members, Kathleen Householder worked 12 hour shifts to provide disaster services to the community. On April 29th all residents in the affected area were allowed to leave their shelters and return home.

In 2009, the Arcadia Chapter took on a larger role, coordinating health and safety programs for all 45 cities in the San Gabriel Valley, including CPR, First Aid Training, and supplies.  Staff was increased to accomodate the increased workload and to continue to expand the Chapter’s outreach into the community.

In January, 2010, Bob Deao announced his retirement from his position as Executive Director with the Red Cross.  Kathleen was named to succeed him, starting in March.

The Red Cross Office can be found next door to Methodist Hospital.