More than two dozen American Red Cross volunteers from Wisconsin-including four from the North Central region have been deployed to Hawaii to help with disaster relief.
The Red Cross has been on the ground there since the fires started.
Kathryn Halvorsen is the Executive Director of the North Central Wisconsin Chapter of the American Red Cross.
“They’ve been working around the clock to help those affected. We had trained Red Cross Disaster workers that responded immediately. Right away they opened shelters, provide refuge from those fires. Residents had nowhere to go, same with tourists. So getting those shelters up and open right away was the first step,” said Halvorsen.
In the days since the initial destruction, Red Cross Volunteers have been helping to house, feed, and support people emotionally.
The organization has also set up a phone line to help people find their loved ones they’ve lost contact with because of the fires. If you need assistance locating a missing loved one due to the current disaster, please call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and select Option 4.
Halvorsen says one of the biggest ways people can help is by donating money.
“This is going to be a very costly disaster for the Red Cross and in general. We just ask people to consider Red Cross as their charity of choice. Any donation helps in our effort to provide that relief,” she said.
You can donate by calling 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or online, or text the word HAWAII to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Halvorsen says they’re also always looking for volunteers to help with disaster relief locally and nationally.
