By Jim McIntyre, American Red Cross

It’s not glamorous work.  It’s low-profile, often thankless, and physically demanding. But it’s vital to the efforts of the American Red Cross to provide help to people who have been affected by Hurricane Ian.

That’s loading and unloading trucks.

Behind Hertz Arena in Ft. Myers, Fla., which was used in the first few weeks following the hurricane to help shelter hundreds of people, Red Cross volunteer Tony Lawless was loading empty insulated food containers onto a truck, bound for another shelter.

It’s not what he expected to do on this disaster relief operation – he signed on to drive a Red Cross emergency response vehicle – but he volunteered to load and haul the containers when he heard it needed to be done.

“I’m just down here to help,” said the new Red Cross volunteer from the state of Maine. “I’ll do anything that needs to be done.”

Lawless joined the Red Cross in January, 2022, and this is his first deployment to a national disaster. He’s trained to assess disaster damage, provide operational logistics, and to drive a response vehicle to deliver food or relief supplies.

Another Red Cross volunteer with much more disaster response experience than Lawless noticed him loading the truck and didn’t hesitate to lend a hand.

“I see what needs to be done and I do it,” said volunteer Hortensia Anderson of New York.  She is an emergency management expert, on her 15th disaster response with the Red Cross. “I see and I do,” is her motto.

When she’s not volunteering to help people affected by a disaster, Anderson, who goes by the nickname Rok, helps create continuity plans for businesses in chaos.  

Lawless retired from a career as a chef and restaurant owner. Looking for something to do – and some way to help – he was attracted by the Red Cross can-do culture.

“Whatever the question is, the answer is yes.” Even if the question involves loading empty containers onto a truck.

American Red Cross relief is free to anyone with disaster-caused needs, thanks to the generosity of the American people. To become a trained disaster volunteer, like Lawless and Anderson, go to redcross.org/volunteer or call 1-800-REDCROSS.

If you would like to support the Hurricane Ian response financially, visit redcross.org, text the words IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or call 1-800-HELP NOW.