American Red Cross in need of volunteers amid Helene recovery; Arkansan highlights importance of helping

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The massive amount of rainfall along with the sheer power of Hurricane Helene has left many stranded and the call for volunteers is growing louder and louder.

Across the southeast, Helene’s destruction covers huge areas, with damaged roads leaving some communities cut off.

The American Red Cross has had relief teams ready since before Helene made landfall but with the amount of damage that need is getting bigger.

Red Cross officials say tens of thousands of homes have been affected and many people are in need of shelter, water, and food. Greater Arkansas Red Cross Director Lori Arnold-Ellis said they’re in desperate need of volunteers.

“In a lot of ways it looks like a war zone,” Arnold-Ellis described.

Red Cross volunteers like Arkansan Kathy Bates and her husband Danny say they felt the urge to help and are now volunteering in Tallahassee, Florida.

“A lot of them lost everything. We’re on a feeding team. We drove the emergency response vehicle, we picked up food twice a day for lunch and dinner and we’re serving at a shelter.” Bates said. “They had some power outages and stuff but the further down the coastline you go they got some pretty hard-hit areas. There is so much need out there and there’s not enough help.”

The American Red Cross says 1200 volunteers from around the country have come to help but with the need growing it’s still not enough.

“We are in desperate need of shelter workers,” Arnold-Ellis said. “We have over 70 shelters but the number changes daily.”

There are around 50 Red Cross volunteers from the Missouri and Arkansas region but they’re hoping more will hear their call.

“We need people who can take two weeks off of their time, get trained and go help our neighbors across the country,” Arnold-Ellis said.

For Bates, answering the call to help was a simple one. She is now urging other Arkansans who know what the power of a helping hand can mean, to lend theirs.

“Do all that you can do because there’s a lot of people out there hurting who need the help,” Bates said. “Help out with what you can because it may be in our back door next time.”

Those who would like to volunteer or donate can go to RedCross.org .

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