The images from Sunday, February 1, tell a story of both sudden devastation and incredible resilience. In the middle of a dangerous cold snap, while most of the city was huddled indoors seeking warmth, 13 families in New Orleans East saw their lives change in an instant.

A fast-moving fire tore through an apartment building, leaving 31 residents including parents, children, and friends without a home. Many arrived at the Rosenwald Recreation Center with nothing but the clothes on their backs, facing the double trauma of losing their belongings and enduring the freezing temperatures.

A Sanctuary in the Cold As the smoke cleared, the American Red Cross Louisiana Region was already there. Volunteer disaster responders mobilized immediately to ensure that no one had to face this crisis alone. The Rosenwald Center was quickly transformed into a safe sanctuary, serving as both a shelter for the displaced and a warming center for a community battling the dangerous cold.

“Our hearts go out to these 31 neighbors who have experienced such a profound loss, especially while our city faces these extremely cold temperatures,” said Kenneth St. Charles, Ph.D., Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Louisiana Region. “Our mission is to ensure no one faces these emergencies alone, providing the immediate relief and emotional support necessary to start the recovery process.”

The Long Road to Recovery For the families affected, the Red Cross provided more than just a place to sleep. Volunteers met individually with each family to provide emergency financial assistance for essentials like food, clothing, and medicine. Our casework team also provided direct referrals to partner organizations to help these 31 neighbors begin the long, difficult journey toward a permanent home.

We were also grateful to have New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno stop by the shelter to check on the families and thank the volunteers who have been working around the clock—not just for this fire, but for the ongoing winter weather mission across the state.

A Danger That Never Rests While we often hear about large-scale disasters like hurricanes, home fires are the most frequent disaster the Red Cross responds to. On average, the Red Cross responds to a home fire every eight minutes in this country. These tragedies are personal, quiet, and devastating, but many are preventable.

We urge everyone to take two simple steps today: 

1. Check your smoke alarms: Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Test yours monthly.
2. Practice your escape plan: You may have less than two minutes to get out safely. Ensure everyone in your household knows two ways out of every room.
    

You Can Make a Difference Disasters like the one in New Orleans East happen every day. We can only show up because of people like you. Whether it is a single-family fire or a region-wide emergency, your support provides the meals, the blankets, and the hope that families need to start over.

• Donate: Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org/louisiana to give.
• Volunteer: Our responders are your neighbors. We invite you to join us. By becoming a volunteer, you can be the hand that holds a neighbor's during their darkest hour and a vital part of their recovery.
   

Together, we can turn heartbreak into hope.