LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30, 2020 — The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region in partnership with many community coalitions, which includes the California Community Foundation and Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office, have joined together to assemble 20,000 COVID-19 safety kits.
The safety kits are part of a rapid-response operation the Red Cross initiated to focus resources on Los Angeles’ most vulnerable communities, including Westlake, Pico Union, East LA and Compton. The communities, which are at most risk of social vulnerability and physical hardship in an event of a major disaster, are experiencing a devastating number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19. This warranted an immediate intervention to prevent the spread across the county.
For the past seven years, the Red Cross has worked in these communities to help prepare them for disaster, and now that preparation is critically needed for Angelenos facing the devastating effects of this slow-moving disaster.
“We assessed needs and gaps to come up with a rapid response operation to help the most vulnerable communities that continue to be the hardest hit,” said Norma Vega, Chief Strategy & External Relations Officer for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “For the past seven years, the Red Cross has worked in these communities to help prepare them for disaster and preparing Angelenos during this slow-moving disaster is part of that work.”