‘The spirit of giving’: Red Cross volunteers ready to help storm victims
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Tropical Storm Debby is swinging back around and will likely leave another wave of impacts in South Carolina.
Right now, local non-profits are hitting the road to send meals and other needed assistance to evacuees and hard-hit areas.
The American Red Cross is filling up rows and rows of supplies at Golden Harvest and bringing in volunteers from all over the country to help with disaster relief in the south.
They’re preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.
They’re emptying trucks and filling them to get back on the road to help those in need.
MORE STORM COVERAGE:
- Washouts, floods and mud: Debby leaves damage across CSRA
- LIST: School closures due to impacts from Tropical Storm Debby
- 19-year-old killed after tree falls through home in high winds, rain from Tropical Storm Debby
- Amid Debby’s rain, concerns swirl around private S.C. dams
- Where can your pets go if you have to evacuate?
- CSRA towns rally together as Debby continues to roll in
“We chose Augusta as an initial setup point because it was a safe place that was a way for enough from like the coast and the devastation,” said Amber Mullins, Red Cross logistics fulfillment manager.
Volunteers came to the south from all over the country such as California, Vermont, New Jersey and Kentucky.
“I’ve lived in Georgia, so it’s a special connection. But, you know, it’s just coming up for the people that’s in need. Just helping out. You could help one person that justifies your time and effort to be here,” said volunteer Gary Yates.
There are more than 500 volunteers like Yates who have stepped up to help.
HOW TO HELP:
- Golden Harvest Food Bank: To contribute to Golden Harvest Food Bank, visit goldenharvest.org Every dollar helps provide vital assistance to both local neighbors and those seeking shelter in our community.
- The American Red Cross: Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text DEBBY to 90999 to donate.
Susan Everitt, executive director of the American Red Cross, said: “We were prepared for impact here in Augusta, and then when we saw the path was not going to be it’s going to be more coastal, we knew that we could stage here be close to everywhere we needed to go in coastal Georgia, South Carolina and onward up into North Carolina.”
Volunteers came to Augusta only to find out where to go next.
“We’ve had people going to Columbia, South Carolina. We’ve had people head out to Savannah. We’re starting to send people up into North Carolina. So, for the next week or so, they’ll continue to come in here, and then we’ll disperse them out,” said Everitt.
Augusta volunteers spearhead tropical storm relief efforts
Augusta is serving as the hub for Red Cross efforts to help those affected by Tropical Storm Debby across Georgia and South Carolina.
The volunteers say it’s worth it to give back.
Yates said: “It’s all in the spirit of giving. It’s all in the spirit of caring for our fellow mankind.”
How to get help
- Visit //goldenharvest.org/find-help
- Visit RedCross.org, the Red Cross Emergency App, or call 211 for local from the United Way of the CSRA or South Carolina.
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