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2 PA American Red Cross volunteers to deploy to Hurricane Helene aftermath
Randy Miller and Danelle Stoppel, two volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeastern PA will join two-dozen other Red Cross volunteers from our region in helping with Hurricane Helene aftermath.
PHILADELPHIA - Two volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeastern PA will join the two-dozen other Red Cross volunteers from our region in helping with Hurricane Helene aftermath.
Randy Miller and Danelle Stoppel will land in Charlotte on Tuesday morning and learn where they will deploy from there.
"We’re expecting the worst and just holding on to what our mission is and our passion for doing this," said Randy Miller, Disaster Mental Health Regional Lead and volunteer with the American Red Cross.
Stoppel, who deployed with the Red Cross 26 times, says she will focus on making sure people who have disabilities have access to what they need in the shelter. Miller, who volunteered during devastating flash flooding that killed several people in Bucks County last summer, says this will be her first deployment.
"My role down there, which will probably be in Asheville, is to support the emotional needs of not just the victims and the people in the shelters, but the community," she said. "The devastation is unbelievable what we’re going to be seeing."
The pair will join nearly 1,000 other disaster workers from all over the country who are providing care and comfort in the affected states, including PA Task Force-1, NJ Task Force-1, PEMA, and the National Guard.
At least 120 people across several states were killed in Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction, with hundreds still unaccounted for, homes and properties destroyed, and millions left without power.
"We’re really just making sure that we have safe shelter for people and food, just taking care of those emergency needs for right now," said Jennifer Graham, Regional CEO for the American Red Cross of Southeastern PA.
The Red Cross is working closely with local officials, government agencies and other nonprofits to make sure people get the help they need as quickly as possible.
If you need assistance connecting with a loved one, the Red Cross says you can visit this link and provide as much detail as possible, and reunification teams will work as quickly as they can to make a connection.
The Red Cross says you can help by making a financial donation, donating blood, or volunteering. For more information visit their website.