Story told by: Bethany Bray Patterson

Mary and Mark Howell started their day before the sun rose, rising early to receive their assignment for the day: pick up, transport, and hand out hundreds of meals to residents in a Greenwood County community in one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene. 

The husband-and-wife team from Ohio are American Red Cross volunteers who have deployed to South Carolina to help after the category 4 hurricane caused widespread power outages, heartbreaking destruction and damage to infrastructure. 

After going through the trauma of a natural disaster and days without power, “people are appreciative of a hot meal, and it feels wonderful to provide that,” said Mary. 

The Howells are two of the approximately 2,000 Red Cross volunteers who are providing meals, safe shelter and recovery resources as part of a massive disaster relief operation across multiple states impacted by Helene. 

In the two weeks since Helene made landfall, the Red Cross has distributed more than 34,500 hot meals in South Carolina communities and provided nearly 1,500 overnight shelter stays for people displaced by the storm. 

Yesterday, after receiving their assignment, the Howells drove to the kitchen of a Red Cross partner organization in Seneca, South Carolina and picked up containers of barbeque chicken, baked beans and potato salad. From there, they drove a Red Cross disaster response vehicle to Promised Land, a rural community in Greenwood County. 

They caravaned to Promised Land with two other Red Cross vehicles; between the three teams, they handed out close to 1,000 free meals to residents who came by to pick up food not only for themselves but to share with neighbors and loved ones. 

“We’re all here to serve the Red Cross mission, it’s an organization of like-minded people,” Mark said. “The reward is giving back, helping the community and that feeling of love and gratitude from the people we are helping.” 

The couple has driven thousands of miles in the Red Cross vehicle, first making the trek from Ohio to South Carolina, and then back-to-back days of driving throughout the Palmetto State to deliver meals where they’re needed most. 

When asked who has done the most driving, Mary said they split it up and take turns. However, she drives whenever Mark wants to take a nap, she added, breaking into a smile. 

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Volunteers are needed as the Red Cross responds to back-to-back hurricanes this month in South Carolina and across the South. Consider joining volunteers like Mary and Mark to provide help and hope in local communities impacted by disaster. Get started at RedCross.org/Volunteer.