CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As Dorian continues to move along the U.S. coast, the American Red Cross is working around the clock to help people affected by the storm.
Volunteers from the Coastal Bend have already been sent to provide shelter and food to storm victims.
“Be sure they've got the cots that they need, be sure they've got blankets, be sure we're feeding them,” said Alex Garcia, executive director of the American Red Cross Coastal Bend chapter. “Because we provide them meals and snacks so when you have that many people there's mandatory daily needs.”
From South Texas this week, 4 volunteers were deployed to North Carolina and two to Georgia.
Wednesday night, almost 7,000 people stayed in 116 red cross and community evacuation shelters along the East Coast.
Volunteers who work in shelters do 12-hour shifts, satisfying more than just a family’s physical needs.
“Sometimes just sitting with them and talking to them because they don't know when they leave there what their homes are going to look like; they have no idea what's going to be left,” said Garcia.
He adds that monetary donations help those victims being impacted by wind, rain, and flooding from Dorian.
But the money also makes it possible to send volunteers from all across the country.
Those individuals then get information on places hit the hardest and go back every day with meals, cases of water, and eventually clean up kits.
“Our mission is to alleviate human suffering at times of disaster,” said Garcia.