Milton Bradford of Corpus Christi, Texas, is meeting with families impacted by Hurricane Ian at a recovery intake center in Fort Myers, Florida. Residents whose homes were destroyed or suffered major damage may be eligible to receive financial assistance. “My last case, she said she was going to use it to pay her rent for the next month,” Bradford said. “She actually lost her house, so that’s a big help.”
Milton Bradford, from Corpus Christi, Texas, is currently on his second deployment to support the American Red Cross Hurricane Ian relief efforts. After volunteering earlier this month in a shelter, Bradford is working at a recovery assistance intake center in Fort Myers, Florida.
“With intake, we’re working with more of the general population,” Bradford said. “For whatever reason, they chose not to go to a shelter.”
The Red Cross has set up intake centers at multiple locations across impacted counties where families affected by Ian can make an appointment to meet with caseworkers to learn about resources available to support their recovery, including financial assistance for those whose homes were destroyed or suffered major damage.
“My last case, she said she was going to use it to pay her rent for the next month,” Bradford said. “She actually lost her house, so that’s a big help.”
This is the first time the Red Cross has used an appointment-setting system for immediate assistance. Residents are encouraged to visit www.redcross.org/ian to learn more about financial assistance eligibility and register for an appointment.
“It’s working real well,” Bradford shared. “It’s person-to-person versus a telephone call. I think it’s working really well. Beautifully, actually.”
Photo, caption, and story by: Jay Bonafede, American Red Cross