Santa Cruz Red Cross Volunteers Deploy To Texas

News from the American Red Cross:

Thirteen local American Red Cross volunteers – Mike Fyfe and Steve Mouw of Aptos, Russell Cole of Boulder Creek, SherryLynn Key of Brookdale, Bonnie Ricci of Capitola, David Pellett of Carmel Valley, David Kulbarsh of La Selva Beach, Richard Crosley, RosieLee Crosley, and Ellen Dellamore of Santa Cruz, Carolee Curtin of Scotts Valley and Devinder Khanna of Watsonville – are headed to Texas provide disaster relief to those affected by the severe storms that pounded the​ region​.

They join 28 other Red Cross volunteers who have been deployed from this region to provide disaster relief.

Though the rain has finally stopped in Texas, flooding is still a danger as rivers continue to rise. Officials estimate about 8,000 homes are affected. Thousands have lost everything and the American Red Cross is with them, providing food, relief supplies and comfort.

“The operations here and in Oklahoma are our largest and most complex since Hurricane Sandy, “ notes Richard Reed, Red Cross Senior Vice President of Disaster Cycle Services. “It’s not just the size that makes it complicated, but the drawn-out nature of the event. So far it’s affected nearly every part of this large state, including both urban and rural areas.”

More than 2,100 Red Cross workers have been working around the clock in Texas since early May, serving more than 63,000 meals and snacks, distributing more than 47,000 relief items and providing more than 2,000 overnight stays in shelters.

DONATE

People across the Great Plains need help now. People can make a donation to support Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

An average of 90% of Red Cross workers are volunteers. By empowering individuals to help their neighbors when they need it most, we strengthen our community and make it more resilient to disasters large and small. If you are interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.