By Faith Based and Community Programs Senior Specialist, Alejandro Penedo
The Community Disaster Preparedness Expo 2017 in South LA was an exciting and a trail blazing event! This was the first disaster preparedness expo to be held in South LA, specifically in the Crenshaw Community.
The event was hosted by the West Angeles Cathedral, a Faith Based partner of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, on October 7th. Executive Director, Northern Valley’s Chapter, Raul Claros, Faith Based and Community Programs Director, Osas Otasowie, and I all attended. We went to not only to support the efforts of our Faith Based partner, but to engage the community with 
emergency preparedness information on a one-on-one basis through our Community Outreach booth and Puppet Show. In one day, we were able to reach approximately 800 members of the South LA community with vital disaster preparedness information. Since South LA is one of the communities we are focusing on as part of our Prepare SoCal campaign (the campaign to help Southern California become better prepared for, safer during and more resilient after disasters), we were excited to see the enthusiastic response of the community. We are even more excited to see the impact that our newly formed South LA Coalition will have during the remainder of 2017.
California State Senator Holly J. Mitchel, a strong advocate of community-wide emergency preparedness and resiliency, urged everyone to take advantage of the resources offered by attending the expo. She stated, “I am glad to see so many organizations and legislators now joining my efforts to ensure South LA is prepared for the next disaster.”
To learn more about how you, your family and your community can become better prepared for emergencies and disasters, please visit http://www.preparesocal.org .
