Georgia Red Cross volunteers Connie and Mark Fleetwood are part of a team of Emergency Response Vehicle drivers delivering water, food, and emergency supplies for Hurricane Ida relief efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Media Contact: Sherry Nicholson
(ATLANTA, Sept. 3, 2021) - Along the Gulf Coast and in the Mid-Atlantic / Northeast, the American Red Cross is working around the clock with our partners to help people struggling with heartbreaking damage and flooding caused by Hurricane Ida.
Some 30 trained disaster workers from Georgia – most volunteers – are among 750 from across the country who have already rushed to help in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, including Connie and Mark Fleetwood, a husband-and-wife team from Moultrie, Georgia, who drove a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to the Alabama Gulf Coast last Friday. Amidst fallen trees, flooding, and wind damage they’re delivering food, water, tarps, work gloves, and clean-up kits to residents in need. Connie says volunteering allows them to see people at their best when their lives are at their worst.
Georgia Red Cross caseworkers have also reached out with resources to Hurricane Ida evacuees who traveled to the state to escape the storm and are now journeying back to the Louisiana area where safe shelters and additional support options await.
“We’re encouraging evacuees ready to leave Georgia to take advantage of Red Cross shelters and resources closer to their homes,” said Carla Maton, Recovery Manager for the Red Cross of Georgia. “And we’re providing comfort and support on their way.”
It’s important to remember that responding to a disaster of this size is a team effort and no single organization can do it alone. Red Cross and partner resources for evacuees in Georgia seeking help include:
RED CROSS RESPONSE – GULF COAST STATES
The American Red Cross is working around the clock with our partners across four states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) to provide help to people struggling with the heartbreaking damage left behind by Hurricane Ida.
To help people affected by Hurricane Ida, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word IDA to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from this disaster.
GIVE BLOOD.
While we do not typically serve hospitals in Louisiana, the Red Cross has provided 95 blood products to a hospital in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of Ida. The Red Cross urges individuals in unaffected areas of the country to make an appointment to give blood to ensure a sufficient blood supply remains available for patients.
Schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733- 2767).
VOLUNTEER If you have the time, you can make a significant impact as a Red Cross volunteer. Review our most urgently needed volunteer positions at redcross.org/volunteertoday.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.