Regional volunteers work to provide Relief from Helene.
The American Red Cross of Western New York yesterday assigned two additional regional WNY Red Cross Volunteers Providing Relief from Helene
The latest deployments bring the total number of Western New York volunteers assigned to the relief efforts in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina to 12. They join a contingent of more than 1,400 Red Cross disaster workers already on the ground, with more expected this week.
The Western New York volunteer assignments include:
“In times of disaster, especially of the magnitude of Hurricane Helene, our volunteers are a symbol of relief and hope for those impacted,” said Nick Bond, CEO of the American Red Cross of Western New York region. “We are extremely proud of and grateful for the compassionate and dedicated nature of our local volunteers. They not only serve our own communities each day of the year, but they are also willing to leave the comfort of their homes to answer the call to assist others impacted by disaster throughout our nation.”
The majority of the volunteers will be serving at shelters housing and feeding thousands displaced by the storm. Hurricane Helene is the strongest storm ever to strike the Big Bend region of Florida and the third hurricane to hit that area in 13 months. The following demonstrate the storm’s impact:
Right now, the Red Cross is working with our partners to meet the urgent needs of those affected by providing safe shelter, food, emotional support and health services. The Red Cross has deployed more than 45 emergency response vehicles to get help to where needed and about two dozen more are enroute. Where it is safe to do so, Red Cross disaster responders are aboard these vehicles, traveling throughout affected communities, assessing the damage and distributing meals and relief supplies.
Emergency sheltering remains the Red Cross’ priority today. With partners, the Red Cross has opened or supported hundreds of shelters for thousands of individuals who have evacuated their homes. Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina each have more than 1.5 million people without power and these are expected to be prolonged outages. Consequently, we're mounting significant feeding missions in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina aiming at feeding more than 20,000 meals per day in each state.
Red Cross volunteers often comment that they “get as much as they give” through their efforts to help other members of their communities. Those interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer and helping a neighbor in need can visit www.redcross.org/volunteertoday or contact the local office at RecruitWNY@gmail.com.
Besides volunteering, there are other ways to help. Thousands of people affected by Hurricane Helene need help now. Donations help the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) to make a financial donation or to schedule a blood donation appointment. Individuals can also text the word HELENE to 90999 to make a donation.
NOTE: We will do our best to accommodate media requests to speak with volunteers who are on-site. Please understand that these individuals may have limited availability due to their sheltering responsibilities as well as potential issues with internet access.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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