American Red Cross volunteers Shelley Smedley and Linda Morgan had never met before being teamed up to drive an Emergency Response Vehicle through hurricane-ravaged neighborhoods of Florida.

Morgan has deployed more than 80 times. “I’ve done it all,” she said, “but I’m an ERV person now. I love it.” She’s not just a Red Cross volunteer. At home in Arkansas, she’s a volunteer firefighter. 

ERVs – mobile feeding trucks – have been providing more than 20,000 free meals every day in Florida for nearly a month. Dozens of ERVs (almost 150 at one time) fan out from temporary mobile kitchens with enough food to scoop and serve more than 200 meals.

They go to hard-hit communities where people are cleaning up after Hurricane Ian. Many areas still don’t have power or potable water, so residents can’t cook at home – if they have one. Local restaurants have the same barriers. Many grocery stores are still boarded up or have little to no inventory. So, the Red Cross brings two hot, nutritious (lunch and dinner) meals daily.

One day, Morgan and Smedley set up in a strip mall parking lot along a busy road in Fort Myers Beach, next to a Red Cross box truck distributing emergency cleaning supplies. In less than two hours, they handed out their full supply of meals to a line that sometimes was two dozen people deep.

“There are times we don’t get a break except when we’re driving,” Morgan said. Red Cross volunteer shifts are typically 12 hours. 

There is no hierarchy of who drives. “We just flip-flop on who is behind the wheel,” Smedley said. The Utah resident is on her eighth deployment, four of them for hurricanes.

“The food is really good, too,” she said. “We eat it.” The two exchange knowing glances, “But sometimes we see it and smell it for so long while serving that we do look for something else. It’s best to eat it before we start serving.”

In addition to the hot meals, the two hand out beverages and snacks for later in the day.

“When people come to the window, they are so grateful and gracious,” Morgan said. “I’m just really happy to be able to help them.”

More than 2,600 Red Cross disaster responders have been in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Typical deployments are two weeks. The Red Cross offers free training and covers expenses related to deployment as part of a disaster relief response.

To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, go to redcross.org/volunteer or call 800-REDCROSS. 

Written by Darrell Fuller, American Red Cross