LANCASTER, Pa. — Hurricane Ian is pounding Florida, leaving behind a path of destruction in its wake. As the storm surges, the American Red Cross is beginning to load supplies and call up volunteers for the relief effort.
“We’re there to calm the storm down," said Dareda Bennett. "That’s what the Red Cross is about.”
Bennett is a Red Cross volunteer out of Lancaster. She previously assisted with hurricane relief efforts down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helping serve people in a shelter.
“We make sure they get bread, we make sure they have water, if they need blankets or anything else they need in the ERV, we give it to them," said Bennett.
Beyond serving food and providing shelter, Bennett says she helped provide comfort to those who lost their homes in the storm.
“We talk about their circumstances," she said. "I’d say, ‘yes, you did lose your home and it is a sad thing, but you’re going to get a better home.'”
“It makes you happy to know that there are your neighbors and people who live in your community who are selfless," said Nicole Roschella, a communications manager with the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania.
Roschella says thousands of volunteers like Dareda are on standby, waiting to fly down and distribute supplies to hurricane-affected areas. She says many prepare to leave on a minute’s notice.
“They’ll put everything on hold, pack up a suitcase in a day, and they’re down there helping people," said Roschella. "I think it’s really admirable.”
Bennett and Roschella both encourage people to donate blood, money, and supplies in order to help out relief efforts on the ground.
“It could be a million, it could be a billion just to do a hurricane relief," said Bennett. "Every donation dollar counts and the blood work counts.”