Volunteers work quickly to fill bags and boxes with relief supplies and load them into vehicles as they drive through the Mt. Olive AME parking lot.
By: Sivani Babu, American Red Cross
Across Tampa, Florida, eighteen churches and community organizations came together at Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church to distribute disaster relief supplies. The American Red Cross was on hand with cleanup kits, ready-to-eat meals, and water.
The line of cars was backed down the street as more than 300 vehicles came through the Mt. Olive AME parking lot, rolling down their windows and opening their trunks so volunteers of all ages could load the cars with relief supplies – water, diapers, baby formula, meals, cleaning supplies, and more.
“This is what we do,” said Jeffrey Thomas, of St. Luke AME. “It’s about helping the community. This is home.”
Invited by Reverend Gregory Gay of Mt. Olive AME, who also serves as the wider conference disaster relief coordinator, the Red Cross delivered hundreds of cleanup kits, cases of water, and boxes of shelf-stable meals.
Reverend Gregory Gay of Mt. Olive AME Church in Tampa, Florida, with Red Crossers Cori Tanner (right) and Sherlyn Vaughn (left). Gay, the AME conference disaster relief coordinator, reached out to the Red Cross and invited the organization to join his church and numerous other churches and community groups in distributing disaster relief supplies.
For Red Crossers attending the event, distributing supplies at Mt. Olive AME was an opportunity to connect with harder-to-reach community members.
“These folks aren’t typically in our shelters, said Sherlyn Vaughn, a Red Crosser from Louisiana who works in long term recovery. “We want to make sure we’re taking care of everyone, whether they’re in our shelters or not.”
Described by others in attendance as a “community gem,” retired news anchor and radio show host Dayle Greene, the first Black news anchor in Tampa Bay, was also there supporting his community. He’s been attending Mt. Olive AME for more than twenty years.
“This means a ray of hope for the community here.” Greene said. “I don’t think we can thank the Red Cross enough for being so hands-on. When things are their worst, somebody’s got our back.”
As a reporter and anchor, Greene covered numerous stories involving the Red Cross during his career.
“I like the fact that the Red Cross partners with the community to make a difference,” he said. “The Red Cross is a valuable asset to this community.”
The impact of Hurricane Milton will be felt for months to come. The Red Cross remains on the ground in Tampa and all over Florida, working to meet the needs of those affected. As communities come together to take care of each other, the Red Cross will continue to be a partner providing support.
If you are in an impacted area and need assistance, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcross.org.
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