Before Hurricane Helene made landfall, Dr. Thomas Barela of Lacey, Washington, was among the first wave of volunteers in the Northwest Region to raise a hand to help. He deployed from Washington and arrived on the ground in Florida on September 28 to assist in the Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

As of Tuesday, more than 1000 Red Cross disaster responders are on the ground to provide support, including more than two dozen volunteers from the Northwest Region. Helene’s damage spans hundreds of miles and has uprooted lives and communities forever.

“I can’t really know what it’s like to be in their situation, but I can be here for them,” Thomas shared.

Though it will be days before the full scope of the damage is known, it’s the support of volunteers like Thomas that brings relief to those impacted by the storm.

“As soon as I pulled up to the shelter, it made me feel good. I thought to myself, this is safe, and I’m going to be OK,” said Florida resident Amber Barteau after Hurricane Helene devastated her family’s home. Amber, pictured above with Thomas at a Red Cross shelter in Perry, Florida, says she’s thankful for the kindness Red Cross volunteers have shown her during this challenging time.

“The Red Cross people here at the shelter have been really kind to me. They’ve given us everything we need, they’ve played with my kids, and they’ve treated us so well. I’m just really grateful to have a place like this right now when we need it,” she said.

Thomas is deployed to support with disaster health services; however, his first focus is to be a friend, “I just try to be as supportive as I can to help them cope,” he said.

Further up the coastline in North Carolina, David Chichester, Red Cross volunteer from Bremerton, Washington, is serving within a shelter in Mitchell County.

“The big concern here is there’s no electricity, there’s no cell coverage, so the things we take for granted, they don’t have,” David said, adding that many roads remain impassable due to downed power lines.

Though the damage is devastating, David says he’s been inspired to see the community come together.

“It’s amazing how people are helping each other,” he said. “Lots of people from many other states are here to help as well.”

David feels thankful to be a part of the Red Cross mission to alleviate human suffering and provide hope during life’s darkest moments.

“There’s a lot of damage,” he said. “I’m grateful I had the opportunity to assist as a volunteer.”

The American Red Cross Northwest Region is issuing an urgent appeal for volunteers who are willing to travel this fall to support emergency shelters for major national disaster relief efforts. 

Interested volunteers are urged to sign up today at redcross.org/volunteer. All candidates must complete necessary training and be able to commit to a two-week deployment. Learn more about this urgent need by clicking here.