Red Cross Sends Redwood City Volunteer to Florida

The American Red Cross is sending Bay Area volunteers to Miami, Tampa and Orlando, Fla. in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaac.

The Bay Area Red Cross chapter this week is sending four volunteers from Redwood City, Antioch, San Francisco and Piedmont, while the Silicon Valley chapter is sending 11 volunteers from Los Gatos, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Mountain View, Palo Alto and San Jose.

Volunteers will be performing a variety of jobs including counseling and emotional support, sheltering and feeding operations, assessing damages and planning, supervising emergency response vehicles and working in shelters.

The Red Cross plans to open dozens of shelters across Florida and move hundreds of trained volunteers and dozens of emergency response vehicles into the state, as well as five truckloads of disaster supplies.

The Red Cross also operates the Safe and Well website, which allows people involved in a disaster to access the site and let loved ones know where they area. Access the site at redcross.org/safeandwell or call (800) RED-CROSS to be connected to a local Red Cross chapter.

Those who want to help can donate at http://www.redcross.org/ or by calling (800) RED-CROSS. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or mail donations to local American Red Cross chapters or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

--Bay City News