LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11, 2021 — The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region responded to multiple home fires this weekend that impacted eight families in Reseda, Granada Hills, Montebello and Inglewood.
Volunteers from the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) responded to multiple home fires throughout Los Angeles providing emergency financial assistance and virtual one-on-one support for 20 individuals affected.
Among the handful of Red Cross DAT volunteers who responded to calls over the weekend, Granada Hills resident David Aks went the extra miles to aid multiple calls for assistance. Returning home from helping a family in Reseda, Aks was notified of another fire and immediately responded the call in Granada Hills.
“I get to help people on their worst day,” Aks said. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring comfort and care into the hands of people who have just lost their home and everything in it. And that feels good, like I’ve made a difference in somebody's life today."
Aks and his wife Ann Baltz joined the Red Cross as volunteers in November 2019. Since then, the pair have responded to a multitude of DAT calls at all hours of the day and night and supported Red Cross evacuation points during the height of Southland’s fire season.