The American Red Cross is mobilizing to help those in the path of Debby. Here's how they're helping and how you can help them.
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00:00Joining us right now is spokesperson and regional communication director Mike DeCindy. You're in
00:04Raleigh, North Carolina, and even as far north as Raleigh, you guys are getting some impacts
00:09from Debbie. Ariel, thanks for having us on. Yes, Raleigh is going to be our headquarters for our
00:16response to North Carolina. Currently, we have hundreds of volunteers down in Florida and Georgia,
00:24and we're getting hundreds more mobilized ready to deal with any of the effects of the storm
00:28that start coming through South Carolina and here in North Carolina. Yeah, you guys definitely seem
00:33prepared and ready. I'm sure you've already been able to help some people. How has the Red Cross
00:38been able to maybe help those who have been pretty unlucky to be in Debbie's path?
00:42Yeah, well, we always work with local emergency management, as well as local officials,
00:47to make sure that we're setting up our resources in the best possible locations.
00:51So we have dozens of shelters currently open where we're helping operate,
00:56and we want people to know that if they are in the need for a safe place to go, they can
01:02come to one of our shelters. Of course, we'll have food and water for them, a safe place for
01:08their family and their family's pets to stay, and also we offer mental health services.
01:15So we have that in Florida now. We're working on setting up those locations in Georgia, South
01:20Carolina, and North Carolina. Those are incredible resources that the Red Cross is bringing. Do you
01:25find any kind of specifics of a greatest need? Does it end up being that people need shelter?
01:29What do you find most in this kind of situation? Well, really, two messages. We try to get out
01:35the message of preparedness. So the Red Cross does a lot of work in getting people prepared
01:40to handle a storm like that. But yes, to your point, where we're finding the Red Cross is
01:46helping the most is helping with these shelters, working with local emergency management,
01:52making sure these people have a safe place to stay, that they're warm, that they have food,
01:57that they feel comfortable. And then also if they need that mental health services or they need any
02:03other services that we can help them with after the storm passes, we're going to still be there
02:08for them. And the Red Cross helping people. But how can viewers at home help you guys?
02:13Yeah, we love that your viewers want to help. So a couple of things. One, they need to keep
02:17watching your channel and make sure they know where this storm is going and they can be prepared.
02:23We want folks to be prepared for that bad weather. We want them to have a plan to make an emergency
02:29kit and to be informed. And we want them to know that if local emergency management says to stay
02:35off the roads and stay in their homes, they need to. But if they also recommend that people go to
02:42shelters, they should download our emergency app. On that app, they can find out where shelters are
02:49located and be connected to local resources. And then finally, for those that want to help
02:55financially, go to RedCross.org or call 1-800-RedCross and you can make a financial donation.
03:03Mike DeCente, Spokesperson and Regional Communication Director with the American
03:06Red Cross. We appreciate everything you guys do and for joining us this morning.
03:09Thank you so much.