Red Cross L.A. Region youth volunteers celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 16, by distributing fire prevention and safety information to nine communities across the Southland.

The Red Cross opened a shelter Jan. 12 and 13 at Jefferson Middle School in San Gabriel for 30 Mandarin-speaking residents displaced by a multi-family apartment fire.

Red Cross first aid volunteers assisted 82 participants and audience members during the Tournament of Roses Parade in record heat Jan. 2. One of the 13 first aid stations treated four band members at the same time.

More than 30 Red Cross Los Angeles Region volunteers and staff responded to eight fires — including several fires caused by a serial arsonist — over the long, New Year’s weekend.

Follow some simple entertaining and hosting tips this holiday season to keep your family and friends safe for the new year.

Local residents Cheryl and Martine Zoller utilized Red Cross Holocaust Tracing Services to locate information about their father, Joseph, and the fate of his family during the Holocaust. “Every new piece of information helps keep the memory of my father alive,” says Martine.