From hurricanes to humanitarian crisis, local woman rescuing hundreds from Afghanistan
Warrior Angels Rescue, which began as an effort to rescue her own family, has grown exponentially
By Pamela Dozois, Santa Ynez Valley Star
In 2017, Valerie Edmondson Bolaños stepped out of her comfort zone and threw herself into the Category 5 winds of Hurricane Maria, which devastated her home island of Puerto Rico, where her family members still lived. Since then, it is remarkable what one Solvang woman and her team of volunteers have accomplished.
Edmondson Bolaños started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and founded Warrior Angels Rescue in the immediate aftermath of that storm. What began as an effort to rescue her own family grew exponentially.
The following year, her team airlifted residents affected by the 1/9 Montecito debris flow, and in 2020 responded to the international border shutdowns at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, evacuating Americans stranded in Peru and other countries, such as Ecuador and Ghana.
Warrior Angels Rescue is now evacuating girls, women and their families from the humanitarian crisis that is escalating in Afghanistan after United States forces withdrew, leaving Americans and those who helped the U.S. for more than 20 years stranded in the midst of a violent takeover.
(2022, February 1). From hurricanes to humanitarian crisis, local woman rescuing hundreds from Afghanistan. Santa Ynez Valley Star. https://www.santaynezvalleystar.com/from-hurricanes-to-humanitarian-crisis-local-woman-rescuing-hundreds-from-afghanistan/