East Los Angeles and surrounding communities can rest a little easier knowing that help is around the corner if disaster strikes. The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles is proud to announce the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of a new service center at 2227 S. Atlantic Blvd. in the city of Commerce on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 11:00 AM. The new facility replaces the old service center at on Third Street and will allow the Red Cross to expand its capability to provide lifesaving skills and disaster services in East Los Angeles, Commerce, and surrounding areas.

The Red Cross in Los Angeles has a rich tradition of providing quality service to local residents, and the significance of this event goes a long way for those with ties to the Red Cross. The Red Cross opened its first service center in East L.A. in 1971 on south Atlantic Blvd. near Whittier Blvd. For more than 35 years, the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross has been carried out on the Eastside, with many programs specifically aimed at serving the Latino community. After the dilapidated service center on Third Street closed its doors, operations were temporarily transferred to other nearby Red Cross service centers.

After a year of searching for a suitable location, Red Cross volunteers are eager to resume operations in Commerce with a renewed emphasis on recruiting bilingual volunteers. Some of the communities proudly served by our brand new facility include Commerce, East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Elysian Park, Pico-Union, Vernon, El Sereno, Ramona Gardens, Highland Park, City Terrace, Garvanza, Eagle Rock, Silver Lake, and Echo Park. In addition to offering a full slate of Health and Safety courses, the new service center will insure that local families are well served in the event of a major disaster.