1994

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake on January 17, centered in Northridge, challenged the chapters Disaster Services. A total of 15,000 disaster work-ers, many from other states, opened 47 shelters, served 1.7 million meals and snacks and provided health services and mental health counseling.

1994

Red Cross caseworkers pro-vided assistance for 33,7000 families at a cost of more than $36 million. A huge tent in Northridge was one of the Red Cross Service Centers that welcomed the quake victims who needed Red Cross help to get back on the road to normal family living.

1996

The Los Angeles Chapter re-ceived the first of two awards from the Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center for its excellence in tracing services. The award was received again in 2007. Past Chapter Chairman Ir-ving Margol serves as chair of the Holocaust centers board.

1997

To promote safety in local communities, the chapter and television station ABC7 began an annual summer safety campaign, ABCs of a Safe Summer, that encouraged lo-cal residents to take water safety, first aid and CPR courses to be prepared for emergencies.

Early 2000s

Throughout the early years of the new century, the chapter, now known as the American Red Cross of Greater Los An-geles was kept busy respond-ing to frequent single family and apartment fires and espe-cially to a series of devastating wildfires in Southern Califor-nia.

2001

The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles joined the national organization and chapters nationwide in re-sponding to the September 11 terrorists attack in New York City, on the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Disaster work-ers were dispatched from the chapter for months to help lo-cal chapters in the disaster ar-eas. Millions of dollars were contributed for the assistance, including at a Dodger Stadium event.

2001

The chapters Emergency Op-erations Center opened to sup-port local operations that in-cluded a shelter for passengers of grounded air flights and a Family Assistance Center at Los Angeles International Air-port, the destination of one of the airplanes that crashed.

2001

The Southern California Red Cross Regional Blood Ser-vices donor centers extended hours and collected a record 2,575 units of blood on Sep-tember 11, as Southern Cali-fornians saw blood donation as one way they could help. Many waited hours to donate.

2002

With the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom by the U.S. military, the chapter geared up once more to help those serv-ing in the Middle East and their families here at home. Communications between those in the military and their families is one important ser-vice provided by the Red Cross.

2003

The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles joined other chapters in channeling generous contributions from the community to assist victims an earthquake in Indonesia and the resulting tsunami that struck many nations, causing thousands of deaths and dam-age in the billions.

2005

With Red Cross chapters na-tionwide, the American Red Cross joined in the response to the largest ever U. S. disas-ter, Hurricane Katrina. More than 180 chapter disaster workers were deployed to the Gulf Coast area to provide as-sistance. Local residents, in-cluding many school children, made contributions to help the hurricane victims.

2005

Because so many residents of the hurricane area came to the Los Angeles area, the Ameri-can Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles worked with the vic-tims to give assistance and provide for their emergency needs. Nearly 2,000 cases were opened and more than $1 million in aid was provided for these families.

20072008

Chapter disaster workers were challenged two years in a row by massive wildfires that de-stroyed homes and forced hun-dreds out of their homes. Red Cross services included open-ing shelters, providing fixed and mobile feeding, health and first aid services, mental health counseling and further assistance to help families re-cover.

2008

In March, the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles re-dedicated the remodeled West District service center on the Veterans Administration grounds in West Los Angeles as the new permanent chapter headquarters.

2009

Thousands of residents evacu-ated their homes during the Station fire the largest blaze in Los Angeles Countys modern history and the Red Cross responded in full force by opening seven shelters throughout Southern Califor-nia. More than 500 volunteers provided assistance, meals, first aid and mental health counseling.

2009

The people of the American Red Cross of Greater Los An-geles continue to carry on a 93-year tradition of service to the many communities of South-ern California.