By Andrea Davis, Los Angeles Region Board Chair
It seems every day, my life becomes more and more consumed with having to make choices. Where to eat? What flight to book? What shirt to wear? What route to take? And, of course, all the choices that affect family, friends and loved ones—even my beloved dog. It also seems that, more often than not, I’m left wondering if I’ve made the right choices. But, that’s why I am writing today. Because I want to tell all of you about the one choice I have always stood strongly behind. My choice to support the American Red Cross. 
Sadly, every day seven people die due to a home fire. The Red Cross though, has been working to reduce deaths and injuries related to home fires by 25% by the year 2020. They began in 2014, heading door to door in vulnerable communities throughout the U.S. to install free smoke alarms, educate home owners on home fire safety and help residents create home fire escape plans.
I’ve participated in these home fire safety events, which have now been appropriately coined, Sound the Alarm, and it certainly feels great to help. But, back to my reason for writing today: when you see your donor dollars and donated time really making an impact, you know you have made the right choice. Today, the Red Cross has saved more than 380 lives by going door-to-door and installing free smoke alarms!
Here in Los Angeles, where already tens of thousands of free smoke alarms have been installed, we are planning to install another 3,000 free smoke alarms over four successive Saturdays between April 21 and May 13. I’ve already donated to the cause and I will also be there to help—and I invite you to make the right choice, too. Join us to help make Los Angeles residents safer from home fires. Sign up to volunteer, here: http://www.preparesocal.org/soundthealarm.
